The Usurper
by Invictus Servius Lucceius
Summary: I awake in a strange world with a body that is not my own. A body that isn't fully human. I find myself stumbling through a city thick with decay. a world rich with conflict. But it gets worse, I can't remember anything, there is nothing, I'm a blank slate ready to be written upon. Blind OC/SI, crossposted on SB and SV
1. Chapter 1

Trash, a whole lot of trash, every kind of trash you could imagine. From food to electronics and beyond. I think I might've seen a trailer house or two. Seeing this dump of a city was not a good first impression. But hey, who am I to judge? I just woke up here. Alright, I was judging a little… maybe a little more than a little.

As I gazed around more trash seemed to pile up, I paused. Was that a dead body? Not my problem.

I climbed up a pile of garbage nearly losing my footing a couple of times as I avoided some of the more distressing trash. At the top of the pile, I could see the edge of the dump, no fence. Maybe this wasn't an official city dump? You know like it was just some empty field that the citizens decided would be the dump one day.

My musing would have to be cut short for I was not a fan of hanging out in the dump. Cool kids don't hang out in dumps.

From my vantage point on the pile, I could see most of the city. Skyscrapers loomed before me at least a few miles,s away, I was in what could only be described as vaguely residential. Vaguely meaning it looked so run down I wasn't sure anyone lived in the immediate vicinity.

The city was built around a bay, surrounded by low hills and a couple of mountains. Nice location, not so nice city. The bay did not look normal if my eyes weren't lying to me there where we sunken ships in it. Who just leaves sunken ships in a bay? I mean bad city management.

No matter how much I wanted to just turn the other way and leave the city behind I knew I couldn't.

I would sooner die of exposure to the elements than find a nicer city. Speaking of the elements there was a slight dribble of rain starting up.

I frowned as I made my way down the trash pile. some of the stuff in there I was pretty sure wasn't allowed in dumps.

On my way down I looked around the landfill. A bulldozer lay abandoned not far from me. It was rusted down to the core, trash spilled out from every crack in its frame. I wondered who placed stuff in the bulldozer.

It wasn't long before I found the fence, it lay against the ground. At one point it had been the barrier for the landfill. As the dump grew it began to push against the flimsy chain-link fence one day bringing it down.

Once I found who was in charge of this city I was going to have words with them.

The rain had picked up considerably. I wandered through the area that I had described as vaguely residential. It was mostly a mix of small apartment complexes and duplexes. The place looked like the bad side of town, peeled paint, broken windows, and barred up windows.

I stumbled along the cracked sidewalk, careful to avoid the monster-sized potholes. The last time maintenance was done on this part of town had to have been around thirty years ago.

As the sun lowered in the sky my pace began to speed up. I knew in a place like this a criminal element would emerge at night, and I would rather not get mugged. How I knew this I had no idea.

Gunshots rang in the distance, and someone yelled. Then silence, only to be broken by a police siren. A few more gunshots, more yelling, silence. Somewhere in the back of my head, I felt a certain familiarity with these sounds. I reached out to the memory only for it to shrink out of my reach.

In a city that looked this trashed either the authorities were always busy or never busy.

My thoughts were interrupted by a door being slammed to my right, I quickly found what made the sound. Short Asian women walked down the steps from one of the duplexes. She seemed rather oblivious to be living in an area like this. She walked on down to the very edge of the sidewalk.

The Asian lady turned to look at me, what I could only describe as pure horror covered her face. At the look she gave me I stopped, tentatively I took a step forward. The woman stepped back, there was something wrong here. One more step forward on my part sent her screaming back to her duplex. She tore up the steps nearly face planting more than once.

Behind her, the door to the duplex shut with a heavy thud. I could hear the sound of the multiple deadbolts lock into place.

I shook my head this was one weird place. I was pretty sure I didn't look that hideous.

I walked along at a brisk pace, not wanting to stay in the light rain for an extended period. All the while I looked for a place to shelter me, temporarily of course.

By the time I finally settled down in a half-demolished apartment complex torrents of rain shelled the area.

I made my way through the mass of crushed concrete and wood that made up the majority of the demolition site.

My shelter came in the form of a lone wall that was barely standing. An equally shabby canopy extended from the top of it, a remnant of the second floor.

The improvised shelter that I found would protect me from the rain. Of course, that was only given that the wind direction didn't change.

I leaned against the wall pondering my situation. I didn't know who or where I was, or even when I was.

I reached out searching for my memory. I drew back with a flinch. Every time I tried to touch a memory it was like touching a boiling kettle.

Lost, I was utterly and entirely lost. Even my name escaped me, a candlelight miles away, indistinguishable from the utter darkness everywhere. That was how my mind felt, dark and empty.

I pinched the bridge of my nose or at least I tried to. When my hand got to where my nose should've been there was nothing there I had no nose? I will admit that at that moment I panicked. My hands roamed across my face looking for features that just weren't there.

My face was a completely blank slate. Where my mouth should have been there was nothing, same with my eyes and nose. My hand ran over my scalp, I had no hair.

I looked down at my hands long thin gray hands attached to my forearms. But it was all wrong, it was gray, blank, and lacking in any sense of feature.

My entire body looked like this, gray and formless.

I felt like throwing up, but how could I throw up if I had no mouth?

I fell against the wall with a thud, it had dawned on me. The way the lady looked at me, heck even I would be scared if I saw some gray human-like thing looking at me.

But how could I look if had no eyes? No, I must've missed something. Still, my hands only confirmed my panicked thoughts from earlier, I still had no face.

Was I some kind of demon from the nether world? Maybe the lady was right in her terror. I shrunk down the wall, what was I?

Even in its broken state, my memory told me that I had been nothing but human my entire life. It was bad enough that I woke up in a landfill, but now I wasn't even human.

At that moment I was crushed, what was I going to do? Someone who couldn't even remember their name.

Then the blast hit me throwing me through the wall behind me. Time slowed as I crashed into the wall, the weakened cement wall threatening to come down upon me. Red liquid, blood, exploded from my chest covering the ground around me.

Someone laughed before rattling something off in a foreign dialect possibly Chinese. More laughter followed, I heard the pump of a shotgun.

Great now armed Asians were trying to kill me.

With almost no effort I stood up, one slug wasn't going to kill me.

I was more prepared for the second slug, this one didn't even make me stagger. It passed right through my chest hitting the wall behind me.

I would have smirked if I had a mouth, but I felt my face twitch.

Before me four very concerned Asians stood all of them had some combination of red and green. Only two of them had firearms, a pump-action shotgun, and a flimsy pistol. The other two had hatchets.

The one with the shotgun pumped his weapon raising it to shoot me again, I wasn't having any of it.

Time slowed, the man with the shotgun was lining up the sights. The pistol discharged, the weak round slammed into my chest doing no damage.

At that moment I exploded, surging forward I dodge the shot from the shotgun. Right as I touched the barrel. I gave the man no time to react as I spun the gun around, hitting him in the chin during the process. Holding the weapon inverted I shot him in the foot, hardly feeling the recoil from the high powered gun.

Next was the guy with the pistol, I turned to attack him, momentarily forgetting the two men with hatchets.

I paid for that mistake, a hatchet buried itself into my right shoulder, a wound that should have destroyed the use of my arm. It only served as a slight hindrance to me.

Ignoring the hatchet in my shoulder I rushed for the pistol-wielding guy. He barely had any time to step back before I grabbed the slide of the pistol. In his panic the man fired the pistol, as the slide went back it tore some of my hand with it.

This action was only a slight hiccup in my killing spree. I soon acquainted the man's face with my fist. The punched knocked out some of the guy's teeth, shattered his jaw, and I think I may have heard the audible snap of his neck as he flew back.

I turned back to the hatchet-wielding Asians. Now only one of them had a hatchet, the other had a small switchblade, and a stain in his pants.

The one with a hatchet got over his fear, and with a war cry, he rushed at me. I was ready.

Hatchetman swung his weapon over the top hoping to catch me in the head. As he brought it down I seized his arm, twisting it around before using his momentum to flip him onto his back.

He was screaming until he hit the ground, then he shut up. I paid him no heed.

The last one overcome with fear scrambled out of the demolition site while shrieking profanities.

I wasn't going to let him getaway. The debris was less of an obstruction to me.

The thug was sprinting fast, fast enough to be an Olympic runner. He only made it two blocks before I caught up to him. I could hear his labored breaths, as he began to slow.

I jumped forward, tackling the running man. There was a wet crunch as his nose made contact with the sidewalk.

I made a move to put him in a chokehold, but he recovered fast. The man rolled out of my reach, slipping free from my grasping fingers.

His actions spoke of experience in this kind of combat. But hey, I bet he never had to fight some sort of pseudo immortal alien.

I was still on the ground when he came at me slashing wildly with his switchblade. Even on my knees, he was no match for my fighting prowess.

After dodging a few slashes, I moved in. I gave the man no chance as I lunged into his belly. He stumbled backward and fell.

I struck him hard right in the middle of the face. His face was already a bloody mess but after that one strike he was finished, his face was a squashed grape. It didn't even remotely resemble a face anymore.

I raised myself to my feet, the rush from the fight was over. It registered to me what I had, from the first shotgun blast to the last punch. I had killed four men quickly and efficiently.

I wasn't just any pseudo immortal alien. I was a pseudo-immortal demon alien killer.

I thought about taking stuff from the bodies of the four men I had killed. In the end, I didn't want anything they had.

None of them had money, all of them had a pack of cigarettes though. Guess they didn't believe in healthy lungs.

Their weapons were useless. Both of the guns had no ammo, and none of the thugs had any extra ammo. One of the hatchets was missing its blade, not sure what happened to it. The other hatchet was so dull it could've been considered a stick with a piece of metal attached.

And I wasn't going to loot bodies for clothes. I could kill people without a second thought but taking clothes off a dead body, nope.

The rain had stopped sometime during the fight. The sun was just setting, not wanting to stay in the same place I moved on further into the city.

As I walking more into the city and the sun dipped below the horizon. While the building became nicer the spray paint red or green 'ABB' never went away.

I had moved on from the slums to a not so slums district. But all in all still in the slums, at least in this area there were some cars. The cars were worn but still worked from the looks of it.

Not many people were out and about, but I could hear the normal city noises. You know the normal screeches and horns from the cars, maybe a little yelling, the first responder sirens, and the gunshots.

I must have zoned out as I walked. When I looked at the cityscape around me it had changed again. Now I was actually in a residential area. The houses still looked bad but they also looked like the residents did something to care for them.

The roads became wider, now two-lane rather the typical one and half lane roads. Even the sidewalks didn't have as many cracks, they looked to be only several years old rather than thirty plus years.

But otherwise, the cityscape still had the look of a city that was barely hanging onto the rope of life.

Hey at least all the edge people I had passed earlier were gone, this area looked like the residents slept at night.

I continued on my way, only stumbling a little on the rough sidewalk; it was better than the last but still bad.

Ahead of me, someone was walking towards me. Hunched over, their face was illuminated from what looked like a phone. Faded jeans, worn sneakers, ratty sweatshirt, without a doubt they came from the lower end of the economic spectrum.

They looked up from their phone, stop stared at me for a full second. Before promptly jaywalking across the street. So that they wouldn't pass me on the sidewalk. The pedestrian kept looking at me over their shoulder.

Man, some people are just rude, oh wait I may have still been covered in blood from the last guy I had killed.

I just nodded my head and continued on my way. I think the nod sent them off as they were now jogging away. I huffed, what a coward.

I sat down next to a wooden power line pole. Maybe if I just rested my head for a bit, my mind wouldn't be so jumbled up.

I didn't feel tired, but I had heard that not being too tired meant you were overtired. Don't ask me where I heard it.

In a moment I was asleep, as soon as I thought I needed to sleep I was asleep. It seemed as if I had an off switch.

Just flip the switch and the eyes close. Except I didn't have eyes or a face.

Even though I was asleep I could almost still feel the surrounding area.

I was then broken out of my sleep, it felt like only a few seconds had passed but I heard it.

"Hey, you awake?" the voice was firm, but not unfriendly. Had the tone of someone who was incredibly stressed.

Again he called out. "You awake?"

My not eyes opened, the imposing figure almost made me jump, but his vest stopped me. Imprinted on his chest was one word Police. Police officers had authority over me.

Somewhere in the back of my head, was the phrase respect those that have authority over you.

Listening to the voice in my head I responded. "I'm awake officer…?" I trailed off in the end.

The police officer in question replied without a pause. "O'Neill, its officer O'Neill." His face remained passive.

There was a pregnant pause before he added on. "You some kind of new cape?"

I was confused, wasn't a cape something that was worn around the shoulders usually.

"Cape?" if I had eyebrows one would have been raised, but I did my best with a facial twitch.

Officer O'Neill frowned. "You know superheroes and supervillains?" I shook my head in the negative.

He sighed. "Superpowers?" this made me pause, the only way I could have healed after two shotgun shots were with superpowers.

I nodded my head slowly. "Yeah."

The officer scowled at the ground. "Alright, I'm going to bring you down to the station."

I swallowed. "No arresting?"

He chuckled "Not yet. You haven't done anything" "What's your name?"

This made me freeze. "I don't know? I can't remember much..."

The Officer's eyes widened momentarily. "Do you have any weird tattoos?" he gave me a once over.

That was the strangest question to ask, but I responded in the negative. I had looked at myself earlier, no strange tattoos on me. My response calmed him down a bit, but he still seemed on edge.

"Alright, in the back of the cruiser." Noticing my pause he added. "You're not under arrest. At most, we'll just ask some questions."


	2. Chapter 2

Officer O'Neill made me sit in the backseat of his patrol car, but at a diagonal so when he looked back he could keep an eye on me. Not that it mattered where I sat due to the steel mesh cage and the bulletproof glass.

But let me tell you, these seats were some of the most uncomfortable things ever created. They were some kind of hard plastic. It may have been just me but the ceiling seemed a little lower than normal cars too. It smelt like someone used a lot of cleaning chemicals to drown out another scent, just making the entire smell worse. All in all, it was terrible.

Expertly O'Neill pulled away from the curbside making his way down the road.

"So what do you remember?" the Officer asked without looking back.

I thought about it for a second, I didn't remember much besides things. If I tried to think of people it was like touching a boiling kettle, especially for when trying to remember things about myself.

"Only some basic things, beyond that it's empty," I respond truthfully. "Where am I?"

Even from the backseat, I could see the officer tense. "You mean what city?" He studied me with a critical look through the rearview mirror.

I nodded. "Yes."

"Brockton Bay." He said almost mechanically.

Brockton Bay was not a city I was familiar with, granted I wasn't familiar with most cities at the moment.

O'Neill turned into another street, we had moved from the residential to a more commercial area. Small shops lay on either side of the street.

There was a pull on my gut, something wasn't right.

I spotted the danger a second before officer O'Neill but I was still too late.

An Asian man dressed in red and green ran at the police cruiser from the right. His arms swung wildly at his sides, a crazed look on his face.

Just as he was a couple of yards from the car he exploded. He exploded. The explosion started in his chest blowing his limbs and head in every direction. The cruiser rocked to the side, the entire right side was gone, all that remained was a smoldering ruin.

Today was not going to be a good day.

Unfortunately, I had been seated on the right side. The blast initially slammed back into my seat, my entire body was smoking. I could feel as shrapnel was pushed out of my wounds, it wasn't painful it just felt tingly.

I spared a glance at O'Neill, he had fared far worse than me in the explosion. Not everyone was a pseudo-immortal alien demon killer.

I couldn't tell the full extent of the wounds he had received but I knew just by the looks of his more clear injuries without medical attention he would die.

I knew what I had to do, with all the shrapnel removed moved to the left side of the car. I tried to open the door but there was no handle. Bracing my feet against the door I pushed, due to the weakened state of the vehicle and the inhuman strength I was able to open the door.

I slid easily out of the car, before turning to the front driver door. It actually looked worse from the outside. Blood covered the window, blood that I knew without a doubt was from O'Neill.

Originally I tried the handle but the door was locked, then I tried forcing the door open all that accomplished was a broken handle.

Next, I forced my fingers into the crack between the door and the car frame. With one single pull the door flew off the car, it went across the road into a ditch.

Ignoring the part of me that said not to move injured people I removed Officer O'Neill from the wreck. Once I finished I took note of his injuries for the first time, his stomach was a mess of blood and guts, something had eviscerated him.

His pulse was weak, I could almost hear his heartbeat slow.

I knew there was nothing I could do. O'Neill at the most only had a couple of seconds left. The light left the Officer's eyes. I could just stare helplessly as O'Neill died.

The radio O'Neil had on his duty belt blared to life "This is Dispatch to all units, ABB has placed bombs in civilians around the city-" I never heard the last part, as the radio shorted out.

But now I had a target. The ABB. They were going to pay. They had killed officer O'Neill, the first friendly face in the entire city.

Another explosion rocked the city, and now I had a heading. I took off in a run towards where the last explosion had happened, into the heart of the city.

The sound of gunfire alerted me that I was getting closer to the fight, so did the explosions.

Smoke drifted up into the sky, blocking the sun.

My feet pounded against the pavement, every step I took seeming to echo through the city. I passed people running in the opposite direction, terror-filled their eyes.

I soon found the source of their terror. The downtown area looked like a warzone, large chunks of the buildings had been blown off, but that was the better part.

Other areas looked like they had been turned into glass, even the people. It was one of the worst things I have ever witnessed. Of course, that didn't count for much since I hadn't witnessed much at all.

One of the bombs exploded in my view, instead of pushing out it pulled in, like a mini black hole. It pulled everything and everyone into it. Worse was that it had originated from a running civilian.

I steeled my nerves against this all. Did I actually have nerves?

I finally found where the fight was thickest, a building that reminded me of a police station but not. Attached to the front was a shield on it were the words PRT. The building was also mostly heavily barred windows.

In the street before the building was a three-way fight between what looked like the authorities and two other groups. One of the groups wore green and red, I assumed they where the ABB.

The other group wore red and black they seemed a little better equipped than the ABB. over all the three groups seemed to be at a stalemate.

I could change that.

Currently, the ABB was in front of me, holed up in front of the PRT building were the authorities, beyond that down the street the red and black group.

The ABB was my target at the time, the other groups I would deal with later.

Sprinting forward, I came into contact with the first enemy combatant. An overweight Asian man, with a revolver. He went down with a scream as I grabbed the collar of his shirt. He landed with a thud against the pavement and I brought my heel down on his face. There was a sickening crunch as my heel connected with his face.

The screams from the man ceased but it was enough to draw the attention of his friends.

One of them opened fire on me with what looked like a World War II rifle. The rifle rounds ripped through my body sending a spray of bullets behind me.

No this would not do, I needed the bullets to stop. I felt a shiver down my spine as I felt my body harden.

The spray of bullets from the rifle no longer went through me but was stopped. Pressing into my flesh and then falling to the ground with plinking sounds.

I didn't pause to think of the change. I charged forward taking advantage of the confusion.

The guy with the rifle realized how screwed he was as his rifle jammed. In his panic, he threw the rifle at me which I dodged with ease.

With a bolt forward I punched him in the gut before spartan kicking him in the chest. He flew back into a car unmoving.

The only problem with the new hardness of my body was that I now felt the impact from every round. In particular, the shotgun that was used to blast me from the side.

I was a blur of motion as my shoulder collided with the shotgun-wielding thug. He skidded over the ground. He was knocked cold from the impact his head experienced. He would also have one nasty case of road rash when he woke up.

By now I had attracted the full attention of the ABB, all of them were out for my blood.

I ripped a rear passenger car door off a small Honda civic nearby. Throwing the door like a frisbee it downed a thug. I would have laughed under different circumstances.

I debated grabbing the entire civic but decided against it.

One of the ABB members rushed me with a hatchet, what was wrong with these people and hatchets? He swung it horizontally at me, I didn't bother blocking or dodging. Instead, I went straight at him. With a well-placed instep kick, I downed him. But not before his hatchet collided with me, the blade shattering on impact. I almost felt the pain he experienced. Almost. Let's just say I think that kick ended his genetic line.

This time they got smarter, two attacked me at the same time. One of them had what look like a katana, which he didn't know how to use. The other, like so many thugs before him, had a hatchet. I was beginning to wonder where they got all these hatchets, the hatchet factory?

The one with the katana whipped it around like he was in some action movie. Hatchet thug looked more experienced.

Now that I thought about it, why were they still attacking me? They should have seen what I did to the last four of them.

Too late did I realize it was a distraction, I heard the crack after it hit me. A high powered rifle round tore through my leg before stopping halfway through. The injury didn't hurt me but the kinetic energy from the round made me stumble.

It was obviously the chance the duo were waiting for, they rushed forward, just as another round hit my shoulder.

Katana man stabbed me with the katana, I knew he was inexperienced. Originally, he was going to pull away after realizing that the tip of the blade broke as it hit my skin. As he pulled his sword away I grabbed the blade pulling it into me, the blade shattered. Using two-fingers I hooked them under his jawline. After that I swung him over me, he hit the pavement with a crash.

Hatchet guy took my occupation with katana man as an invitation to attack me. He swung the hatchet in a downward stroke.

It would have been an easy strike to block if it wasn't for the next rifle bullet that hit me in the shoulder. Put off balance from the high powered bullet I was unable to dodge or block the hatchet that easily impacted the top of my head.

The hatchet glanced harmlessly against my head, the thug tried to back away.

Like lightning, I seized him by the neck. The man-made a choking noise. I closed my finger around his windpipe. I lifted him almost half a foot off the ground before with a flick of my hand I crushed his windpipe.

I dropped him on the ground as he continued to make a gurgling sound through his damaged windpipe. In the back of my mind, I knew that in a few minutes at the most he would be dead.

I now had the full undivided attention of all of the ABB. All of them looked at me with a mixture of awe and fear, mostly fear.

The authorities in front of the PRT building took advantage of the situation by pushing the red and black group back.

I observed the battleground, I had dispatched nine of them.

The only one that actually seemed to cause a problem for me was the sniper camped out in one of the buildings. Even the problems caused by him had only been little hiccups in the fight.

One of the ABB members decided that he could kill me. In all actuality, I was not expecting it. A spray of bullets hit me in the chest. Most of them bounced off, some entered my skin before being pushed out of me. There was a plink as the deformed rounds landed on the asphalt.

I felt my face twitch into my best impression of a featureless grin.

The man threw his gun to the side, reaching behind him he pulled out a knife. It was the kind of knife you would see in a movie, it was even curved backward.

What was wrong with everyone around here….

The ABB guy turned his trot into a full-blown sprint as he rushed me. His heavy footfalls echoing across the street.

Upon reaching me he tried for an upward stroke, to which I dodged effortlessly. His next attack was more thought out as he fainted to the left before bringing it around from the right.

I let the knife hit me hopefully making the thugs arm numb from the backlash of hitting a solid object.

Grabbing his arm I twisted it around before bringing my knee up to his elbow. There was a satisfying crack as I broke his arm. The thug screamed profanities at me, most of them were about my mother.

Letting go of his arm I grasped the back of his head bringing it down into my knee which ended his screaming. I tossed the now limp body to the side.

The next one went down when I kicked him in the neck. He had rushed me with a little switchblade knife. He crumpled like a napkin.

Three of them attacked me at once, the one in the middle had a shotgun with which he shot me twice, slugs once and the other birdshot. He stood a little farther back than his teammates.

The two thugs in the trio tried to engage in close-quarters combat with me while wielding short but wide half swords.

With the shotgun thug unable to shoot I advanced on the sword-wielding thugs. One of them seemed more eager than the other, he rushed forward with his sword above his head. He was screaming something in Japanese before I spartan kicked him in the chest. The kick almost sent him across the street. He stopped a few feet from the curb. What an idiot.

The other thug dropped his weapon and finally ran off screaming, coward.

I look about the fight, the authorities in front of the PRT building were pushing the red and black group hard, only a couple of them fought the ABB.

The ABB looked utterly terrified of me, none of them were actively fighting anymore.

Rushing forward at the remaining ABB members I vaulted over a car.

One of the ABB took off running at me, I almost didn't hear it, the little beep as he got closer. He was barely five feet from me when he exploded. The explosion threw me across the street into a car. The car lurched onto its side before settling on its wheels. Car alarms sounded around me as I pushed myself to my feet. Smoke curled off my form.

All around the fighting had stopped, most of the ABB looked to have been killed by the bomb.

Given the rather large crater in the middle of the street and the scorch marks all around.

There were even some pieces of the ABB members around.

I turned and watched as the black and red group decided to retreat after seeing me get up.

Maybe today is going to be a good day.


	3. Chapter 3

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have walked towards the mass of confused highly trained professionals.

As I got closer they looked more like advanced riot police than anything else. Well, riot police that didn't have shields.

A couple of them looked to be carrying flamethrowers, oddly didn't remember seeing any flames earlier.

I raised my right hand in greeting, "Hello!" I shouted

The response I got was not expected. Immediately following my greeting the entire group trained their weapons on me.

The change in demeanor made me pause momentarily. This wasn't going as planned, granted I didn't have a plan, to begin with.

I took a cautious step forward. The response was immediate.

Breaking the silence someone shouted out, "Freeze! You're under arrest!"

I sputtered what!? I just saved these guys!

I swallowed my confusion, "What!? Under what charges?"

One of the riot-like police officers stepped forward the sun reflected off his opaque visor. "Murder, attempted murder, and assault with parahuman abilities!"

Parahuman abilities?

"It was Self defense!" I fired back.

The officer took my words in stride, "You have the right to remain silent!"

Seriously did this guy not see what I had just done? Tentatively I step forward, someone threw something at me. Stupidly I caught it, a silver canister probably around five inches in diameter.

The top of the cannister popped open, some sort of sickly yellow-white substance covered me. I barely had a moment to react before the not flamethrowers were spraying the same substance on me.

I tried to wipe the substance off but with every swipe, I just smeared it on my body. The yellowish-white substance began to expand covering my body. The more I tried to rub it off the more it expanded.

In no time at all, I was encased in the substance. Quickly the substance went from gross goop to thick rubber-like material.

Try as hard as I could with no leverage I couldn't break out. Even with the minuscule rips, I could make they were quickly filled with more of the stuff.

I'm glad I didn't have a mouth otherwise some of it may have made it into my mouth. Now that I think about it how was I breathing? Did I even need to breathe?

I felt my weight shift, they were moving me. I couldn't exactly hear what was going on around me as it was all just muffled noises. There was a lot of grunting, I wonder how much I weighed.

Eventually, I was placed on the ground, and all was quiet around me. Slowly I began to test the strength of the substance. With every movement from me, I could feel it stretch.

Using my enhanced strength I began to tear the rubbery material from my body. In no time I was free of my yellow-white prison.

I looked about the cell that I had been placed in. Steel walls glared back at me, the door looked to heavily complex to actually operate. Sunk into one of the walls was a screen, it was blank, turned off. In each corner was a CCTV camera, look like there was no privacy here. Also of course just as every cell needs there was a basic cot and a toilet.

Looking at the walls I had the impression that I could escape, but then what? I would be a fugitive. Well according to the officer earlier, I would be a murdering fugitive.

Now that I thought about it, was it self defense? At first, it was, now not so much, I had actively sought them out.

Maybe I just needed a moment to orient myself, to sit down.

I turned to the little cot, it looked kind of flimsy. Tenderly I lowered myself to a sitting position at the foot of the cot. The cot groaned under my weight, I wasn't that heavy, was I? With a sigh, I lowered my entire weight onto the cot, needless to say, the cot collapsed.

I actually sat there for a few moments trying to figure out what happened. I looked down at myself, I looked relatively the same. The only noticeable difference was that I was now a darker shade of gray. Gunmetal gray, I vaguely remembered the shade of color is called. Wonder when that changed?

I don't remember how long I stayed in the cell, but let me tell you it felt like centuries. Most of it was spent staring at the blank screen.

After what felt like the third century, the screen flickered to life.

Displayed in red letters on a black background it read. Warning Video in progress.

My response was an intelligent one, "Huh?"

Silence followed before there was a pop as someone turned a microphone up too fast. A crackle followed as the microphone adjusted. There was a screech as someone drew a chair across a concrete floor.

Throughout the entire ordeal, I sat in silence.

"Good morning." Morning? Had I been in here that long? "Do you know why you're here?" continued the obviously male voice over the speakers.

"Not really, no." I looked at the screen which still displayed the same message.

"You murdered seven people! And are being detained under the charges of Murder, Attempted Murder, Assualt, and assault with parahuman abilities." I wisely stayed silent about the other four I had killed. "Not only did you kill them you also used excessive force! Blatant abuse of parahuman abilities!"

Spoke the man gravely the man over the speaker.

There is was again, parahuman abilities. Did it have something to do with the capes O'Neill mentioned?

"Self defense!" I fired back.

"Self defense?" choked the man. "You actively attacked them first!"

Ok, maybe self-defense was a bad defense on my part.

"Do you know what we do with capes like you that get out of control?" the man growled. "We send them to the birdcage! A prison that you will never escape!"

Birdcage? I scoffed. What a ridiculous name. Nobody was going to lock me up.

"Birdcage? Never heard of it."

What I had said disarmed the man as there was a pregnant pause. I could literally feel him shift forward in his seat over the mic.

"What do you mean you've never heard of it?"

"What I mean is I can't recollect ever hearing about a Birdcage. Or even parahumans for that matter." I glared at one of the cameras.

"Shit a Case 53." sighed the man.

Now it was my turn to be disarmed, "Um…What?" Case 50 what? Did that have something to do with my memories or my looks?

I heard a crackle as the microphone shut off. The screen on the wall also went blank. To my knowledge, I was alone again. At some point in the conversation I had stood up couldn't remember when but I had. Slowly I lowered myself back to the floor.

I wasn't an amnesiac pseudo immortal alien demon killer thing. Somewhere inside my head was all my memories. I just had to reach in and pluck them from the darkest depths of my psyche.

With newly found convection to find out who I was, I stared into the abyss that was my mind. An empty hole devoid of all memories, only a few scarce memories remained. Many stood out in the distance a candlelight miles away.

Reaching out I grabbed one of the lights, it was like holding a boiling kettle with my bare hands. I burned with rage, no metaphysical pain was going to stop me.

Taking the memory I began to understand it. Like boiled water down my throat, it burned me. It was akin to chugging the entire content of a kettle boiled water and all.

The memory was one that I should have had from the begin. It was one of my most profound memories. The memory of my name, something that had always been with me.

Now I had a name, I was no longer nameless.

My name felt familiar yet alien to me.

No longer would I be a formless being, a bringer of death. I would be Thomas Gawain Harper.


	4. Chapter 4

I sat on the ground mulling about my situation. At least I knew my name. Any time I tried to get another memory the result was the same. Emptiness, a great emptiness, it seemed that every candlelight in the void had been snuffed out. I was lost again, unable to grasp any more memories.

The screen in the wall blinked as it displayed the message from before. Warning. Video in progress. Great, who is it going to be this time?

I shuffled to my feet ready for the coming interrogation, the last one was wimpy.

The screen flickered as the message disappeared. Only to be replaced by the image of what I could only describe as a greek hoplite wannabe. The man wore a greek style helmet of gold.

The only part of his face that I could see clearly was his lower mouth.

The wannabe hoplite looked a little uneasy. I couldn't see his eyes but I had a pretty good guess that they were darting around analyzing me. His mouth was stretched into a thin line.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided to you. You have the right to have an attorney for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present, you have the right to stop answering at any time." The man rattled off my Miranda Rights like a machine.

Lots of practice I guessed.

"Do you understand?" the man looked at me.

"Yup!" I popped the p. How did I pop the p without a mouth? How did I talk without a mouth!?

"Good." the man seemed a little offended by my casualness. "What is your name?"

I complied with gusto, happy that I had a name. "Thomas Gawain Harper." the name still seemed a little foreign though.

The wannabe hoplite paused, "No cape name?"

Cape name? Not a term I was familiar with. Officer O'Neill said capes were like superheroes, and superheroes usually had superhero names right. Or at least that's what my anemic brain supplied me with.

"Don't have one." The man nodded understandingly.

"Under normal circumstances, we would have just locked you in a cell until the courts could deal with you. But given that you are a cape and an unknown one at that. You may get off with just a warning if you answer all my questions correctly."

Seemed fair.

"I can do that," I responded after a second.

"Currently you could be charged with seven accounts of second-degree murder, two cases of attempted murder, and on top of that you used parahuman abilities to commit all these crimes."

I think I was getting it now, parahuman abilities must be my nigh-invulnerable body and superhuman strength.

I stayed silent as the man continued. "You only have a couple of options. One, you get sent to prison for life. Two, you are released and have the entire ABB gunning for you. Or you join the Protectorate."

Protectorate, another thing I was unfamiliar with. "What's the Protectorate?"

"Superhero police." was the response that I got.

Superhero police, I liked that. "If I join the Protectorate what would happen?"

There was a pregnant pause, "Due to your current potential charges you would be in this cell for a little bit before you were processed. After which you would become a full-fledged hero."

Me a hero, I liked the sound of that. "What do I have to do to join the Protectorate?"

"First I have to ask you some questions. We don't just allow anyone in."

I nodded I could understand that.

"Why did you did you use lethal force on the ABB members?"

"I knew they were bad guys, and bad guys have to go bye-bye." the man looked like he was about to say something but I cut him off. "And truthfully I don't know my own strength." while not completely true because I knew that one hit from me was enough to cause collateral damage, to anyone.

"Did you plan to kill them?" What kind of question was that?

"No." I lied, so much for answering truthfully.

The hoplite wannabe nodded, I wasn't too sure he was buying it though. "Are you aware of the Unwritten Rules?" At the shake of my head, he continued, "The Unwritten Rules govern what capes can and can't do. While only semi-official the rules hold power over all parahumans. Breaking the Unwritten Rules can and will result in death or permanent imprisonment in The Birdcage."

There it was again, the Birdcage. Who named the place?

"One of the rules is to not use lethal force without due reason. You broke this rule when you murdered seven ABB gang members and injured two others."

There was a second of silence between us. "While this is your first known time of breaking the rules if you do so again there will be severe consequences."

I don't know why but there was a voice telling me that I would be breaking the rules again and again. "I understand," I responded.

"How long have you had your powers?" the man changed the subject.

I thought about it, from what I remember around a day or so. But I felt like I always had my powers, and that I wasn't using them to their full potential.

"It's hard to pinpoint exactly when I had my powers, but around a day." I decided to play it safe.

"Do you know the full extent of your powers?"

"Um, no haven't had the chance to actually try them out."

The hoplite wrote something down on a piece of paper in front of him. Must be writing down all the answers I mused.

"What are your powers?"

"Super strength, durability, and regeneration." I felt no need to tell him how I thought I was able to change what I consisted of.

There was some more scribbling on the man's part before he stood up and shut off the video feed. The microphone crackled as it too was shut off. The message on the screen disappeared, I was alone again. It was only me and my thoughts.

Strange the man had never introduced himself, pretty sure that was the first thing you're supposed to do during a conversation. But I guess it was more of an interrogation given that he read my Miranda rights.

Slowly I lowered myself back down to the floor. I looked at my hands, ugly gunmetal gray hands stared back at me. Why did I have to look like a gray featureless being? If I actually looked human maybe I would have better luck with people.

My hands almost seemed to ripple as a shiver went down my spine. Look human I thought, now I could feel the ripple across my whole body. Stared down at my hands as they changed color from the gray to fair white. My entire body seemed to gain details that weren't there before. I was beginning to look human.

Instinctively my hand touched my face. Using my hand I could feel features appear of my face, I now had a nose. I had a mouth and eyes. I brushed my hand over my scalp, I could feel hair covering my head.

For the first time in what felt like a long time I truly laughed, it was a laugh of pure joy.

Now I had a name and a face.


	5. Chapter 5

It was after a few moments in my new form that I realized the problem, I was naked.

The solution should have been simple just shift into something less… naked. But I was having none of it.

I needed to be clothed and now. I wasn't some coward that was going to shift back into my featureless state. I really hated the way it was just so blank, empty.

With a huff, I raised to a standing position from the rough floor. Why couldn't I just shift my body to have clothes?

I felt the same shiver down my spine as my body shifted once more. Clothes began to form on me, simple clothes nonetheless but clothes.

I took one step forward, my shoes made almost no noise in the near-empty room. It was strange wearing clothes that were part of me.

I looked down at what I was wearing simple sneakers, jeans, and a gray sweatshirt. The clothes looked and behaved like normal clothes. They even felt like normal clothes.

I gazed at my hands, how much could I change? I focused on my hands slowly making them converge into one point making them into a blade. Cool that would have been useful in fighting the ABB. Maybe not, the guy hinted at me using unnecessary force, and something told me that stabbing people was unnecessary.

Effortlessly I shifted my hand back to normal. I was going to be stabbing anyone today.

I looked at the cameras, were they recording all the time? There were no red lights I could see around the lens. All the cameras were the same, half-sunken into the walls, four of them in every corner. All angled in such a way that there were no blind spots.

Did I actually want to become a hero? While I wanted to be a hero, wouldn't being part of the Protectorate hold me back? They were government, and it didn't seem like the ABB could kill me. I was an amnesiac pseudo immortal shapeshifting alien demon with a name that wanted to be a hero that was being chased by a gang. Man, I was messed up.

That's what I would be. A hero and not part of the Protectorate. I would definitely help them but I would not let them hold me back. Especially with the rules and regulation that I knew they would have. Unwritten rules my ass, and as they say rules like laws are meant to be broken if for the greater good.

I would give the wannabe hoplite my answer when he came knocking again.

I looked down at myself, something told me I should not show them everything that I knew I could do. Even though I did not want to do I did. There was a shiver down my spine and ripple across my body as I shifted back to the form I used when fighting against the ABB. It almost pained me to lose my features.

Soon minutes turned to hours before I was contacted again. It happened while I was sitting on the ground trying and failing to reconstruct the cot that I had destroyed. I heard the crackle of the microphone as it turned on. I spun around rising to my feet before facing the screen in the wall.

Great, wannabe hoplite was back.

"Mr. Harper, I have some news for you." At a nodded from me he continued. "It looks like if you join the Protectorate I can get you out within the week."

Time for me to give him my answer, "I will not be joining the Protectorate."

"Oh." The man considered my words, "Are you sure you don't want to join? We could give you training and support."

"Yes, I'm completely sure." I asserted myself.

The man sighed, "Given the… the severity of your crimes, without joining the Protectorate you will be sent to prison." I almost interrupted him but he continued, "You may even be sent to the Birdcage. We cannot have capes that have killed and are willing to kill running uncontrolled in the city."

Ok... maybe I did need to join the Protectorate. Even though it seemed like he was threatening me now.

"Nevermind. I just had an epiphany."

He gave me the oh really look, "Have you?"

"Yeah. I'll join the Protectorate." he did say they were like superhero police so I would think they are the good guys right?

"You're not lying, are you? Just a second ago you told me that you weren't joining the Protectorate."

Better salvage this before I get sent to the Birdcage. "I was saying I was going to not join the Protectorate yet. But now I think I'll just join right away."

The hoplite gave me a 'yeah sure' look, "I'll come down to you and have a face to face conversation. Then I will decide if you're fit for the Protectorate."

Well, that could've gone better. Even though I was sure I could break out of anything they threw at me yet I didn't want to be a fugitive of the law. I mean, get sent to prison, break out of prison, then what? Destroyed the people that sent me to prison? They were just doing their job sending an unknown superpowered killer to prison. Even if the killed were criminals, I wasn't supposed to be the judge, jury, and executioner.

My thoughts were interpreted by the sound of what seemed like a thousand bolts opening. Slowly the heavy door opened with a groan. Man, what was that thing made of? There was a horrible screech as the door connected with the metal floor. Someone needs to redesign that door, preferably before the sound killed someone.

There was a quick chirp over the intercom system outside the cell as a mechanical said. "Cell four, door open."

How many cells are there?

Then I saw my interrogator for the first time. He was for sure a hoplite wannabe, he stepped into the cell wearing full hoplite regalia. But what drew the most attention was his spear, slung across his back. The four-foot-long weapon seemed to be made of white lightning. The other piece of equipment that seemed different was his boots. They were encased in the same stuff as what his spear was made of. Even the shield on his left arm was emitting the same energy.

All in all, he struck an imposing figure.

He offered his right hand to me a grim look on the part of his face that I could see. "Dauntless." He introduced himself.

Tentatively I took his hand, half shaking it, expecting to be electrocuted, "And you already know my name." I commented dryly.

Dauntless grinned beneath his helmet, "It would seem so." He motioned towards the door, "Right this way."

I wasn't so quick to follow, "Where are we going?"

"To a conference room. We'll talk there." he supplied as he motioned me out of the cell.

I stepped out of the cell into a hallway that gave the impression of being a hospital, white empty walls. To my right, the hallway extended for a bit before ending. On either side of the hallway, thick metal doors protruded every eight feet. Quite a bit of heavy-duty cells, I thought, wonder who else they have locked up in here?

Almost immediately my question was answered, whether I wanted it or not. One of the cell doors on the farthest end of the hallway exploded outwards, a torrent of flame pushing it. After that what I could only describe as an eight-foot-tall dragon-man covered in scales walked out of the cell. It would have been cool with the smoke and the flames, but I think he was going to be hostile.

Dauntless and I shared the same response, one word, four letters. That was all that was needed to describe our situation.

Even as I watched the dragon-man stalk down the hallway he seemed to be getting bigger.

"Who's that?" I spared a quick glance at Dauntless who like I was slowly edging backward.

"Lung, he gets stronger as he fights."

Ok, not what I wanted to fight someone that gets stronger as they fight! Nope, count me out!

The newly identified Lung continued the slow deliberate walk of someone that thought of us as nothing more than ants. And something told me that if I didn't act now that was going to be true. It took a lot of willpower but I stopped, no longer was I stepping back. I pushed myself to take one step forward, my hands curling to fist as I did so.

Lung seemed a little surprised at my actions, his eyes narrowed. Opposite of his fire his eyes were cold, a stark contrast. I knew his type, willing to kill, no value was attached to anyone's life except his own.

The space between Lung and I was rapidly disappearing as the dragon-man stalked down the hallway.

Dauntless who had been backing up before now stood at my side, his face blank of emotion. He now held his spear of lightning firmly in his right hand.

Lung in a sudden explosive motion barreled at us. His long strides making quick work of the distance.

Using his forward momentum Lung made a wild swipe with his now four inches claws. All the while red flames spread from his rapidly changing inhuman mouth.

Before I could react Dauntless was in front of me shield raised as it expanded like a forcefield. With a sizzling pop, the dragon-man impacted the shield. The kinetic force of Lung's strike drove the hoplite nearly two feet back.

Dauntless twisted his shield giving him an opening as he stabbed Lung in the chest. The chest hit did stop Lung as he paused to backhand the Hoplite into the wall.

I leaped into the fight ready to protect Dauntless. Like a human missile, I smashed into Lung throwing him back with me on top. As we collided with the floor I cocked my arm back delivering a punch square at Lung jaw. Lung responded with inhuman reflexes, grabbed my punch, twisting my wrist and shoving me into the wall. As he pinned me against the wall his other hand grasped my neck. The idiot thought he could choke me. Using my free hand I shifted my fist into a blade jamming it into the monstrous arm of Lung.

Lung took a step back not expecting the blade fist. Even with the injuries he had sustained, I saw the wounds closing. He was a regenerator like me, but his regeneration was not as fast as mine.

Capitalizing on Lung's confusion I kicked him in the nuts, which actually didn't do what I thought it would... Lung hardly even noticed the kick.

I could see that he was no longer just eight feet tall. More like nine, covered in steel-like scales he had to hunch in the abnormally tall ceiling.

With a swipe of his claws, Lung sent me flying through the hallway. Red hot flames washed over me, not doing harm but certainly heating me up, like a car in the hot sun.

While Lung blasted me with fire I tore a piece of the wall off. Hefting it with both my arms I threw it. The throw was a success in that it stopped the fire and hit Lung. on the other hand, it was a failure as it only enraged Lung more.

With no chance to react Lung charged at me, using his superior bulk, he smashed me into the floor once again. As I lay on the floor Lung seized my head, before he repeatedly smashed my head against the metal ground.

I need to end this fight before Lung pummeled me into a paste. Using the ground as a brace I kicked Lung in the chest with both feet. I rolled to my feet ready for the next beating. My body already almost healed of all damage. Lung's scant wounds likewise healed in moments. Lung was getting bigger and stronger while I was the same as when we started.

Lung hit me like a train, his momentum brought us through the thick walls and into one of the cells. With a feral growl, the dragon tossed me into a wall. Without hesitation, I grabbed the toilet in the cell. I tore it from its place on the floor, water sprayed everywhere. With a swing, I threw the hardware at the dragon man.

Hitting him smack in the face only dazed him for a moment. With a roar of rage Lung let a torrent of flame leap from his maw that was now shaped like an "X". Man, this guy really was turning into a dragon.

I raised my left hand creating a hard shield made of the same stuff as my body. The flames continued for a second before Lung made his move. He smashed through my shield, it shattered like glass. Too thin, I scolded myself. Lung grabbed my left arm and body in separate hands and with another inhuman roar, he tore my left arm from my body. My arm turned to black goo in the dragon hand, it landed on the floor with a splat.

Almost instantly it twitched like it was alive before flowing across the floor with unnatural speed and reconnecting with my body. Ok, that was kind of freakish.

Lung, who was rather annoyed with the fact that my arm was almost already regenerated, hurled me through the ceiling into the floor above.

With a leap from Lung onto the floor above our fight continued. Lung was all rage as he fought but his eyes even though they burned like embers were cold. There was still intelligence in those eyes, even as he grew more bestial.

With an explosive punch, I knocked Lung back. Even with all the strength, I had I needed to kill Lung. My punches were becoming less effective too fast. Making a wild swing with his now six-inch claws Lung nearly took my head off. Dodging under another strike I turned my right arm into a blade. Swing my arm wildly I slashed Lung across the belly. Lung reared back roaring in rage, as fire exploded from his jaws.

I stepped back to inspect my handy work. Lung's guts spilled from his belly, I had eviscerated him. My laugh died as I watched Lung push his guts back into his bowels, the wound closing up.

I rushed forward narrowly avoiding a swing from Lung as I slid under him. Coming up behind I kicked his left knee out from under him, forcing him to his knees. I shift my arms into blades stabbing him in the back. My blade arms slid into his bulk emerging on the other side coated in crimson.

Alas for all my efforts Lung would not be killed by that strike. With unbridled strength Lung twisted around, backhanding me through several walls. Again.

I raised myself to my feet, red light surrounding me, as an alarm blared. Water from the sprinkler system that had finally been set off washed over me. As my arms went back to normal, fist curled I watched as Lung strode through the destroyed building. He was now almost ten feet tall, tall enough that he had to hunch over. Even hunching Lung made a mess of the ceiling. Fire curled off his form, so hot that it turned the water from the sprinkler system to steam. Spear-like nubs stuck out of his shoulders, the beginning of what I was pretty sure were wings.

Lung let out a breath of fire. For the third time, I felt the shiver down my spine as my body shifted again. But this time I wasn't shifting my body, this time I was adding. Wings made of the same material as my body sprouted from below my shoulder blades. These wings would not let me fly, no these wings would be like extra arms with of course complete blades. I extended my razor-sharp metal wings to either side of me. They were quite heavy, only offset by my superhuman strength.

I curled my wings around me like a shield.

Lung only paused momentarily when he saw the wings.

I rushed forward, smashing through a wall, only one room separated me and Lung. Lung was the first to make a move, fire curling around his clawed hands, he rushed towards me destroying the wall that separated us. With a primal roar, he sent torrents of fire at me from his maw and hands.

My wings raised to block the fire. Lung slammed into me, his bulky and super strength threatened to throw me back. With a mad swing, my right-wing hit his face, the razor blade wing easily separated part of his face from his head. The dragon screamed in rage as he grabbed me throwing me to the floor. Due to the impractical bulk of the wings, I was trapped on the floor a second too long. One of Lung's feet pinned me to the ground, his right arm raised to deliver what I could only consider the final strike.

Dauntless chose that moment to catch up to the fight. He soared through the air and with a resounding crack his shield collided with Lung. the dragon stumbled from impact, as Dauntless hovered in the air his boots encased with white energy. Lung made a swing at the flying hoplite, only to miss as his target circled around him. I struggled to get to my feet with the bulk of my wings covered by debris. I dropped the wings, they disappeared back to where ever I had originally got the mass.

On my feet I watched as Dauntless flew around the dragon, his spear of lightning, flashing in and out. I knew that one small mess up on Dauntless' part would mean death for him. I struggled to find an opening with the flying hoplite going every which way.

Dauntless was tiring out, I could see it, his spear thrusts became slower, his movements became sloppier. All it took was one strike from Lung, Dauntless barely had enough time to bring his shield up. There was a reverberating thud as the flying hoplite hit the ground, then the wall. He was out cold.

With Lung briefly occupied with looking at Dauntless' prone form I rushed the dragon. Lung didn't have time to respond before I was on him. A strike to his calf with my blade arms resulted in a snapping sound as his Achilles tendon coiled up his leg. The dragon screeched in pain as he dropped to one knee. I knew that if I waited one-second longer Lung would heal. I performed a ferocious slash at his back. Crimson blood exploded, staining the ground. Lung twisted, grabbing at his back. The dragon's clawed hands dragged me to the side, I left deep lacerations as he pulled.

Lung tossed me against another wall. I crashed through at least two rooms, both of which appeared to be office space. As Lung advanced towards me again, I considered my woefully depleted options. I began to grab various assorted office supplies and furniture and throw them at the raging dragon. A chair he batted aside only to be hit by a computer monitor straight in the face. I tossed more office stuff at Lung, which all only served to enrage him more.

I quickly ran out of supplies to throw at the dragon. I knew needed to end the fight fast before he grew too powerful to defeat. I rushed forward, my arms turning into blades. Red flame washed over me obscuring my vision of lung. I lunged where I thought Lung would be, with blade arms swinging. I was correct, the flames ceased as Lung recoiled from the strikes.

With the fire gone, I got a good look at the dragon. Now at nearly twelve feet tall Lung's massive frame had destroyed the ceiling above us. He looked more dragon than man now, I wondered whether there was at all a hard cap to his transformation?

If was going to win this fight I needed every advantage I could get. I, myself, was just a little over six feet; Lung was twice my size, something I had to change. I felt myself shift again, adding mass. I could feel my height and weight, and subsequently my strength increase. The floor below me groaned under my weight. I snuck a glance at the floor which appeared to be sagging a bit.

Lung examined me carefully, something told me he wasn't too sure he could win this fight. I had an epiphany. Before he had been toying with me. I was going to have to be more careful.

There was another shift as my body took on a different color, a glossy black. The effects were immediate I could feel a new density to my body.

Lung and I slowly circled each other, Lung's eyes were narrowed, I was pretty sure mine would have been too if I had eyes. I was the first to move, I pushed off on the balls of my feet blade arms ready. I could see every muscle in his body tense as he leaped forward to meet me. We clashed mid-air, my momentum carried me farther, almost through Lung. I was the bigger of both of us now.

Smashing through a few walls I rolled myself over Lung, shifting to normal arms I slammed a fist into his face. His face may have caved just a little, but it healed quickly enough it seemed almost an illusion. Fire blasted from one of his hands, but it only served to blind me. Another fist to the face turned the fire off as the dragon lost his focus.

Then I remembered what Lung had done to me early on in the fight. Clutching his forehead I began to repeatedly smash the back of his head against the ground. Every time I forced his head down there was a resounding thud. Lung struggled more with every strike, his struggling served to make me smash his head with more ferocity. Soon a pool of blood covered the floor flowing from Lung's head. There was a crack and the thuds turned to splats, Lung's skull was gone. Every wet spalt sent Lung into a ferocious frenzy as he struggled beneath me.

Soon Lung was barely responding to the head smashing.

With one finally forceful effort, I brought his head to the floor. My hand went through the massive skull. I had utterly pulverized Lung's head, turned his brain into a bloody mess.

I stood up to observe my handy work. The dragon's body looked fine due to his healing factor but his head… I wasn't sure it was a head anymore, kind of reminded me of a squashed grape The back of his skull was gone and his forehead had caved in courtesy of my head smashing.

The raging dragon was dead.

There was a ripple across my body as I shifted back down to my original size. No use in testing the structural integrity of the building further.

Dauntless floated up beside me. I glanced at him, he looked fine except for being a little battered up. Nothing a week of sleeping wouldn't fix.

The Hoplite looked over Lung cautiously, "Is he dead?"

I bit back the retort of no he's just sleeping, "Yes." I answered simply.

Dauntless' voice was without emotion, "Good."

**AN: Lung is fun to write, too bad I had to kill him. **


	6. Chapter 6

"So who exactly was this Lung?" I asked slowly as I poked the dead dragon. Blood just kept leaking out of the body, more than should be possible; even with his increased size.

"Parahuman, he was the leader of a local gang called Azn Bad Boys. As he fights he gets stronger, becoming more dragon-like." Dauntless answered as he drifted up closer.

"Azn Bad Boys?"

"More commonly known as the ABB." Oh, Lung was the leader of the ABB. They were the ones setting all the bombs off, right? The ones who I was hunting before being arrested.

"Know anything else about the ABB?"

Dauntless was now beside me, "They mostly stay on the east side of the city the docks, but they seem to be trying to expand right now." he poked Lung with his lightning spear. "Right after Lung was taken we thought they were going to fall apart. I guess we were wrong."

"Two other parahumans, Bakuta, a bomb tinker, and Oni Lee, a teleporter."

I frowned, teleporter? But the other one was a little more unsettling.

"Bomb tinker? She makes bombs?" I looked at Dauntless.

He nodded, "Yes."

I wasn't sure how making bombs was a superpower, but I wasn't the one to question it.

"Anything else?"

Dauntless turned away from the body as he surveyed the room. "Their gang colors are red and green. The membership of the gang is all Asian." he swallowed, "They mostly deal in protection rackets, theft, and sexual slavery."

I frowned heavily, they need to be taken down. Who would be better than a pseudo-immortal-alien-demon-killer-thing?

"Which way to the docks?"

"You want to go after them? Get them when they're down?" Dauntless had closed the distance between us.

Was he going to stop me, throw me back into a cell? "Are you going to stop me?"

Dauntless shook his head, "No, not this time."

I nodded, "Which way to the docks?"

Dauntless pointed behind him, "go through the building until you reach the street than turn right. Follow the street until you have left downtown. You should be in the docks at that point."

The hero made no attempt to stop me as I walked away. I Navigated my way through the destroyed rooms, headed in the direction Dauntless had pointed. Hopefully, he gave me good directions.

I soon came to a hallway, pristine floor to ceiling windows lined one side. Down below I could see the street, the same street I fought the ABB in. based on Dauntless' directions I had come in from the docks. I was essentially going to be tracing my steps a little bit.

There was only one way to get down there. With a quick kick, one of the panes of glass shattered. Sending a spray of glass shards into the street below. I grabbed either side of the window frame, and then. I more or less just swung myself out the window. Not flying, falling, kind of a like a rock.

I will tell you every part of me wanted to do the three-point landing but I didn't. I hit the ground going at what felt like terminal velocity, a mass of tangled limbs. I left a pretty good-sized crater in the asphalt.

There was no pain just a faint buzz that passed after a second. I untangled myself before standing up. I kicked a chunk of asphalt away as I looked around. The street looked vaguely like a warzone, there where little fires and broken windows everywhere. The poor Honda Civic that I tore the door off still sat in the same place. One day I would use the rest. A few other cars were littered around, the most fixed one was only missing its windows; there may have been some holes in it too. Thankfully there were no bodies.

I started off the way I had come, navigating myself around the debris.

"You going to pay for the road?" I stopped, groaning as I turned around.

Floating off the ground Dauntless levitated above my crater.

"Uh, maybe? Possibly, no?" I answered shrugging, "So you decided to stop me after all."

The floating hoplite shook his head, "No, quite the opposite."

Opposite? Was he going to help me?

"I'm going with you, to help you."

If I had been drinking water I would have to spit it out. "What?"

Now it was his turn to shrug, "thought it might be better than sitting in an abandoned building."

He landed on the ground softly, "And you need a guide."

Dauntless had a point there, I didn't know my way around town. I would welcome any help I could get, not that I would need it.

I nodded, "No Birdcage?"

Even under his helmet, I could see the hero purse his lips. "No Birdcage," he affirmed.

We stood there for a moment, "Which way to the ABB?"

Dauntless lead us through a maze of alleyways and street that I would not remember the names of. I was kind of surprised he knew the city so well, he knew every shortcut. Slowly the looming skyscrapers and nicer building disappeared. Short squat and generally disgusting buildings took their place. Trash littered the ground and the sides of the buildings flowing out of the alleyways like water. We passed a few people, all of them in terrible condition. We saw the aftermath of many of the bombs that the ABB were setting off. A group of people and the surrounding sidewalk turned to glass. Their faces forever stuck with a scream of agony. Half a block had disappeared, leaving nothing. We only saw one bomb go off, the look of agony on the man's face as his head exploded sending a spray of ice. Flash freezing a car and his immediate surroundings.

Even with all of this Dauntless stood up to his name, but I could see his facade crack whenever we saw the aftermath of some of the particularly nasty bombs. Or when we saw the tortured expressions of the bomb victims.

Before long we stood in an alleyway just across from a vaguely oriental looking building.

Dauntless pointed at the building, "this building is a front for the ABB, a bar of sorts. One of the Lung's lieutenant has been known to have set up here. We haven't raided the place yet due to the threat of Lung."

I frowned or at least I tried to, "Now with Lung is gone we're going to hit it?"

The hero nodded, "If anyone is going to know where Bakuta is, it's going to be here."

I peeked around the alleyway, a couple of guards stood before the double doors. They looked bored, weapons hung loosely in their hands, eyes unfocused. I could see why there was no one around. These streets were practically abandoned now. They tensed up when a young Asian man ran up to the door. Some words were exchanged before the guard let the man in; while I could hear the words I couldn't understand them.

"So what's the plan?" I asked my guide.

Dauntless looked around the corner, "You take the bottom. I'll take the top, meet in the middle. Try not to kill anyone." he gave me a look, "Remember we need to find where Bakuda is."

Not killing would put a damper on my abilities. My general tactic in a fight seemed to be hit it hard. Nonetheless, I nodded, I would _try _not to kill anyone.

"So just walk out there and hit stuff?" I asked

"Yeah something like that, just remember to ask where Bakuda is!" With that parting remark, he turned from me, launched himself up to the side of the building, and disappearing over the roof.

I nodded to myself, just hit stuff and ask for Bakuda.

I sauntered out of the alleyway and headed towards the building. I would like to say that I walked out there, asked the guard some questions and they told me where Bakuda was. Then I left and everyone was happy. But, no, that didn't happen.

I like to think that I already had a reputation with the ABB. More likely the guards just wanted an excuse to shoot something, and pseudo-immortal-demon-things are great targets.

I barely made a few yards from the alleyway before the two-guard with firearms started to shoot me. The other one, he was armed with a hatchet stood as he yelled at the others to shoot me more.

Mentally, I decided that everyone I fought was going to get a broken jaw and two broken kneecaps. Wait how were they going to tell me where Bakuda was with a broken jaw? Broken arms and legs will do, or just general immobilization.

My comfortable saunter turned to a rushing sprint as I closed in on the gang members. The one with the hatchet was going to be first.

Unlike my fight with Lung, I was going to be using my fists this time. I rebounded off the ground flying through the air at the hatchet-wielding thug. I heard him scream before I shut him up with a punch to the jaw. His neck twisted and I heard a snapping sound. I may need to cut back on power.

The two other guards had now backed up to the double doors of the building. A continual stream of bullets hit me. Both the weapons clicked as they ran out of ammo.

I tilted my head to the side, "Where is Bakuda?" Might as well ask before I really mess them up.

The guards did not answer, one tried the door; it was locked. The other man was failing to replaced his magazine. These two wouldn't answer I decided.

With a blur of motion, I slammed the guard that was reloading into the wall. My finger crushed his windpipe like a piece of celery.

I let him fall to the floor as I turned to the other one. He was huddled up against the door, pleading for the people on the other side to let him in. liquid stained the ground around him.

"Where's Bakuda?" I gave him one more chance

"I don't know! I don't know!" He screamed back tears streaming down his face.

Apart from me wanted to kill him, but no. "Leave."

The one word sent him running off, he tripped a few times. In no time he was gone, he would probably be back with the ABB by the end of the day. What an idiot.

I gave my attention back to the double doors. Most likely barred and locked, against me that was futile.

Digging my fingers into the space between the double doors. With no effort, I tore the two doors off their hinges sending them into the street behind me.

I had my first look into the building, one word described the place. Neglected. The place looked like it hadn't been cleaned in fifty years. Old and new stained cover the floor, walls, and ceiling, each stain was a different color. Old bulbs lighted the placed, they were all so aged that they gave off sickly yellow light.

The occupants reflected the place, twenty or so people. All looking like they hadn't thought about personal appearances in a while. The best part was that every single of them had a weapon on them. I was unhappy to note that most of them had hatchets.

Everyone was still as we stood off. Twenty against one.

"Where's Bakuda?" I questioned for the third time.

Someone swallowed, no one said anything.

"I said, can someone _please_ tell me where Bakuda is!?" I yelled.

I can't remember who started the fight first, but I will say it is my personal belief that it was was one of the hatchets wielding guys. People screamed, guns fired, and more people screamed. I was a blur of motion as I fought my way around the room. Breaking kneecaps, crushing jaws, and in general just hurting everyone.

At one point over the screams and the gunfire, I heard Dauntless crash through the top story.

Several gang members ran around me out the door. Other they tried, I got them first.

With inhuman agility I fought, twisting around punches instead of blocking. Sliding and rolling underarms and legs.

I grabbed a gang member by the throat throwing him against two other thugs. I dodged another wild swing of a hatchet. Before kicking the offending hatchet wielder in the knee. A shotgun slug to the face flung my head back. I Ignored the shotgun, for now, I grabbed a chair, brought it down on an ABB member. He stumbled back from the hit, I stabbed him with what remained of the chair.

I moved my arm up, shifting it into a shield as another slug hit me. I glided forward bashing the shotgun wielder with the shield. I shifted the shield to have a razor edge, with it I cut the thugs hands-off; and his shotgun in half. He went to the floor screaming at this stumps.

I held the shield for a second, could I disconnect things from my body? I took hold of the shield on my arm, bring it off my other arm I frisbee tried tossed it at one the people running out the door. The shield left my grasp spinning through the air, it hit my target in the back of the neck. The fleeing thug was decapitated, forgot to take the razor edge off. Ouch.

Well, that settles it, now I don't have to run around the place getting up close.

I shifted a spear into existence in my right hand; it was more like a javelin through. With a lunge I threw the spear at a thug, impaling him.

A door to my right exploded as Dauntless barged in sending a spray of splinters flying. Must have cleared the top.

Dauntless hefted his shield narrowly avoiding a strike to his neck. He kicked away the thing that tried to decapitate him.

He turned to me eyes wide. "We have to get out of here!" He yelled over the din of the fight.

"What? Why?" most of the ABB had left the building now. A couple of them were trying to crawl out of the building. Others, they just lay there on the ground screaming.

Dauntless answered me as he rushed out of the place, "The whole place is rigged to explode!"

I stood there for second processing what he said, the whole place was going to go boom?

I began to head for the door, but I had stalled for too long. For the second time since my arrival, I stood amid the explosion. The blast wave hit me first knocking me off my feet. Next was everything around me including the building being sent everywhere. Red hot flames blasted from the center of the building, everything was burning. The building collapsed into itself, wood and metal snapped.

As if it could get worse the build collapsed, even more, falling into its foundation. Building material from the four stories above me came down.

The explosion was strange, first, it pushed everything away. But then it pulled everything too. By my guess, the bomb was located somewhere in the basement.

The initial blast must have pulverized the foundation. Then when the second blast hit pulling everything towards it the building came down with it.

The full weight of the building above me crashed down and covered me. For the first time since my fight with Lung, I was injured. I feel cracks run through my nigh-invulnerable body. I think one of my arms was separated from me at one point.

My regeneration kicked in pulling me back together. I could still feel the weight of the building bearing down on me.

I pushed myself to my knees, rumble moved above me. One wrong move and I would be buried even more. I shifted the weight from my back to my hands, I felt my body strain against its limits as I tried to push to a standing position. I needed to be stronger. I remembered my fight with Lung, the bigger I was the stronger I would be. My body rippled as I strained it, I felt my size increase, slow, not as fast as my fight with Lung. the debris above me groaned as it shifted. The weight lessened, it was more manageable.

I laughed, why was I restricting myself. Another pair of arms sprang forth from me taking some of the weight. The bigger I got the easier it was, and the faster I grew.

Sides of what I was pushing up came crashing down pinning my legs. I shifted the weight above me to the side. With a heave, I threw the weight off me.

Like a primeval titan of old, I used my now almost forty-foot tall body to crawl my way out of the rubble. I broke through the surface, and as I did I shifted myself back down to a more realistic size.

I pushed into the street before the building. Building materials covered half the street and the buildings closest to the ABB place had also collapsed; adding to the rubble that had trapped me.

The street was partially collapsed into where the bomb was also.

All in all, it was a big mess.

I looked for Dauntless, he was nowhere to be found. Several ABB mooks were lying around. But no wanna-be hoplite.

A flash of gold caught my nonexistent eye. I had found the hero, crumpled up against a green dumpster near an alley. I jogged over to the fallen hero, he didn't look bad; but I had heard of something called internal bleeding. Internal bleeding was kind of stupid, isn't that where the blood was supposed to be?

I shoved the dumpster away for the Dauntless' crumpled form. I knelt as I inspected him for injuries. There was no blood or at least no blood from Dauntless. Must have been knocked over into the dumpster. Lost consciousness, so concussion. My medical training was limited, heck I was probably forgetting a lot of stuff.

But if there was one thing about concussions that I remembered was don't let the victim fall asleep. Dauntless was unconscious which meant he was kind of sleeping.

I need to wake him up, but how?

Grabbing the hoplite by the shoulders I shook him, "Dauntless!"

Dauntless remained unconscious, I thought about slapping him. But I was pretty sure he had sustained a head injury. For all I know I could accidentally snap his neck with my super strength.

I shook the hero again this time I yelled, "Dauntless! Wake up!"

The hero shifted in my iron grip, groggily he tried to sit up; I pushed him down. His eyes fluttered open, he turned his head to look to his left.

I held up my right hand showing three fingers, "Dauntless look at me, how many fingers am I holding up?" that's what you're supposed to do, right?

Dauntless look at my hand, "Three. Can you let me up?"

I released my grip, "Uh, sure."

I clasped my hand around his forearm pulling Dauntless to his feet. Dauntless frowned at the rubble of the building.

"Didn't think that would happen."

"What happened?" I asked I was pretty sure I wasn't the one that set off the bomb.

"I found one of Lung's lieutenants." he paused.

"And?" I urged him on.

Dauntless rolled his shoulders, "I didn't find out where Bakuta is holding up." my shoulder slumped at his statement. "But, I did get some interesting information."

I perked up, "What information?"

'There's a meeting tonight." he pursed his lips, "It's about the ABB. apparently, the other gangs don't like what they're going."

"There's a meeting between the gangs about the ABB's behavior?" I deduced.

The hero nodded, "Yes, it's at Somer's Rock."

"Somer's Rock?"

"It's a pub, kind of a neutral grounds, there's supposed to be no fighting allowed in it. All the groups in the city recognize it."

I nodded in semi-understanding, "We should go."


	7. Chapter 7

"Did you get a time, beyond, tonight?" I asked slowly, now that I had thought about it. Could exactly show up for something not knowing the time.

"Uh, No. The time that was given was tonight." Dauntless kicked a stray pebble with his boots. "This may be a problem."

I shrugged, "Nah, we just head there now. We'll make it in plenty of time, if we're early, we just wait."

"Wait a moment while I pull up the directions. I've only been there a couple of times." Dauntless stuck his hand in a pouch on his left side. I never would have seen it if he hadn't used it. The hero grunted as he fished around in the pouch, it wasn't long before he pulled out his phone.

Dauntless muttered to himself something about a cracked screen as he played around with the phone.

"It isn't fair. Only several miles south."

So the way we came, out of ABB territory.

Silence overcame us, only to be broken by a faint beeping coming from Dauntless' phone.

Dauntless seemed alarmed for a second before his face reset to its usual stoicness.

"I have to take this." the hero left me his hand at the side of his helmet.

I shrugged, I didn't care if he took calls.

I bent down, replaying my fight with Lung. In that fight, it was the first time I showed that I wasn't limited to human appendages. But before that, in my cell, I perfectly replicated a human body from my understanding. Even down to the cells, could I do that on a whim? I looked at my hand. With a single thought, the hand transformed in that of a human. Curious I shifted my other hand into a blade. Running it along my human hand caused the human hand to bleed. But just as the blood appeared it disappeared, the self-inflicted wound healed.

I stood up satisfied if there was a way to stop the regeneration. I could mimic a human if I needed to.

Once again I thought back to my fights, in my second fight with ABB I changed what I was made of. In that fight, I had made myself more solid. If I remembered correctly I had also bled in my first fight. I could revert back, but was being more solid a bad thing?

If I made myself lighter would I be able to fly with the wings I had in the fight with Lung? Of course, I was going to shelve that idea for now. It was not the time to test if I could fly.

I glanced at Dauntless, he was a ways away. Even over the distance, I could hear him talk adamantly into the phone. Wonder who he is talking to?

Still, no one had responded to the obvious destruction of a building in the city. Granted, this thing may be going on around the city.

I shrugged and continued rethinking my fights. Before my latest escape, I had been restricting myself to a mostly humanoid shape. Wings and four arms were still humanoid. I could probably turn into some horrible monster on whim alone.

But why didn't I? Because I was comfortable with what I was. One day I knew I would be forced to turn into something monstrous. Then again why restrict me to sentient shapes? I could turn into a cube, imagine it, killer demon cube from hell!

No, that was stupid, no killer cube.

I still need to find a way to be more combat efficient. Throwing the spears were good and all but they were big and bulky. Using a shield as a frisbee was good, maybe if I downsized that?

My mental stream of thought was interrupted by Dauntless throwing his phone across the road. That's one way of hanging up, I guess.

I settled for raising a nonexistent eyebrow, "what was that?" One day I need to get actual eyebrows.

"My team leader."

I frowned, he must have a very bad working relationship with his team leader. "And?"

Dauntless expression soured even more, "And the PRT director."

The PRT was the ones that sprayed me with that sickly yellow stuff and stuck me in the cell. "What did they want?"

"Me, they want me to step out of the field." Dauntless shook his head, "They want all the heroes to do nothing while they formulate a plan."

While I could see the intelligence in doing that. I didn't believe that now was the time for the heroes to step back. Really they need to be out here hit the problem head-on, formulating while on the offensive.

I knew his answer but I wanted to hear him say it. "What did you say?"

"No, that I was working on getting rid of the villain already." he chuckled, "They didn't like that."

"So, no changes to the plan?" I asked, hopefully, nothing would have changed.

The hero shook his head, "No, the plan will stay the same. We may be approached by my team leader though." He gave me a look, "If that happens I'll do the talking."

What did he have against me doing the talking? "Sure, can do."

Dauntless grunted in acceptance, "Now we need to get to Somer's Rock."

With that, the hoplite walked off down the street. I followed after a moment, in comfortable silence we walked.

As Dauntless lead, I followed close behind. The path we took still didn't make sense to me.

It wasn't long before we meet our first roadblock, quite literally.

Blocking the road was a group of ABB members. A couple of cars had been pushed out, forming an impromptu roadblock. Surprisingly it wasn't a very large group, only five or six. Once again surprisingly none of them had hatchets. Maybe they had learned of my distaste for the weapon. Every one of them had some form of a firearm ranging from pistols to semi-automatic rifles. One of them had a revolver, didn't why he was using such a primitive weapon.

If Dauntless had not pulled me into an alleyway I may have walked right up to them.

"More." I groaned when I saw them. "When will they take the hint?"

The hero chuckled lightly, "We'll face them head-on. With two capes they won't be able to hold their ground. After that, we can move along."

I nodded, guess I was going to be a bullet sponge again.

Walking into a fight gave me the same feeling every time. Nothing, I felt nothing, no fear, no glee, just straight up nothing. That was probably one of the first red flags that something was wrong.

This fight began like any other fight. Bullets glanced off my invulnerable body, there was some yelling. Nothing that I understood, it all being said in some Asian dialect mixed with some English words.

When the ABB goons realized that their weapons were useless against me, they tried to turn tail and run. Key word tried.

I tensed my legs before launching myself through the air. I land with a thunderous crash, with a glancing kick I sent one the rolling cars across the road.

Skidding and rolling over the asphalt the car left a shower of sparks behind it. The compact car weighing a little over a ton crushed one of the thugs. I hardly let it phase me when his screams were silenced. He was just another number.

I raised my hand and created a metal disc. With a diameter of 6 inches and a razor-sharp edge, it was created for one thing.

Detaching the disc from my body I backhand threw it at one of the ABB goons. The piece of metal whistled through the air. The fleeing thug screamed out when it made contact with his back. Blood cascading from his back the thug fell to the ground.

I turned to the last thug that was still in the area. The poor idiot had fallen, scrambling across he made for a poor sight. He moved towards his rifle, which lay a few yards from him.

Should I tell him to leave, or kill him? Might as well kill him he was going for his weapon after all.

Before I could even create another disc, I was stopped. One word spoke by Dauntless stopped me in my tracks.

"No!" Dauntless spoke the word that made me pause.

Why was he stopping me now? Slowly I turned around to see him, shield and spear raised ready to fight.

"Why?" the word flew from me without thought.

The hero shifted in his stance, "Because that's not what we do. We are the not the judge, nor the jury, or executioner. We are heroes, we save lives not end them."

The hero swallowed, given my silence, he seemed a little more confident. "Everyone deserves a second, third, or as many more chances as they need."

"Tell me, could they have harmed you?"  
His words made me think, could they have harmed me? No, nothing they had could harm me. I had shrugged off everything, even a bomb.

"No," I answered, "They could not have."

"So why? Why kill them if they could not even harm you? Because you're stuck on an endless loop of getting rid of anything that intends you harm. Just before, you were only going to kill him because he was reaching for his gun, not he could harm you with his gun."

I heard the thug behind me runoff. His heavy footfalls echoing across the asphalt.

Dauntless planted the butt of his spear into the ground. "There is a difference between the heroes and the police. As heroes we can stand up to more, makes us more forgiving of actions. Police, they are just like the people they are arresting, makes them less forgiving when one resists. But you. You're acting like neither. When you fight you have decided that you are judge, jury, and executioner."

"When we first meet you said you wanted to be a hero. Right now you are not acting like a hero. You have decided that everyone is guilty if they fight you, that they all deserve death, and you will be the one to carry out that sentence!"

Had I already strayed so far from being a hero? Maybe I was still a shapeshifting-demon-killer-murder-thing, but that wasn't who I wanted to be.

Dauntless take a breath, "That is what I say no to. And is that what you want to be?"

"No," I was still confused though. Why was I so fine with killing, even now as I thought about could I even remember how many I had killed?

"By all means, I should walk away from you. But I won't. I will continue to help you given one thing." The hero's shield fell away from where it had been protecting his body. "Guarantee me you will not kill anymore. Not without good reason."

I could do that, or at least I think I could do that. "I can guarantee that. No more killing."

"Good." huffed Dauntless, "We should keep moving."

I took a moment to look at the bodies of those I had killed. The one gang member, crushed beneath the car. Only his mangled lower legs could be seen. His crimson blood spilled over the asphalt covering the ground.

The other corpses, with the disc sticking out of his back. Fingers outstretched seeking to grasp something that wasn't there. His blood too covered the ground.

I didn't need to see their faces to know the terror that would surely be there.

But even then I knew, they would not be the last. I would kill more and more likely than not I wouldn't think twice about.

We would have continued on our way to the meeting at Somer's Rock. Dauntless stopped mid-step, his head inclined slightly as if listening to something. I opened my non-existent ears to also listen to whatever had got his attention.

When I opened my ears, I opened my ears.

Instantly I was flooded with sounds, ranging from Dauntless' blood rushing through his veins and someone talking not far from here. I sorted through the sounds, filtering through the ones that I knew Dauntless couldn't hear. Guns shots across the city? Too far. Another explosion? No, we had been hearing those all night. Ah, there it was, the deep rumble of a car, wait no, more like a truck. It was a distinctive enough sound, not stock, definitely custom. Someone had put a lot of time into reducing the sound of the engine. It did little good to the supernatural hearing I now had. Most likely it was only outfitted with so many sound reduction systems so it didn't blow someone eardrums out.

I brought my hearing back down. No use to have a supernatural hearing if you were being bombarded with so much information.

Dauntless recognized the sound, "Armsmaster." He whispered under his breath. He glanced around at the dead bodies of the gang members. "This isn't going to look good."

"Armsmaster? And what isn't going to look good." surely the bodies were not that much of a problem. Actually, given Dauntless' strong opinion on killing maybe they were.

"Armsmaster is the leader of the Protectorate team here in Brockton Bay. good man… A bit strange though." he muttered the last part under his breath.

I nodded, this was his team leader that he had a problem with. Hopefully, we would not have as much as a problem with me killing.

Soon Armsmaster came rolling around the corner. I would say he was driving a motorcycle, but the thing was more akin to a tank, tankacycle. The thing was massive riding at least a foot off the ground. With tires as tall as my leg, I mean seriously where did he buy those? The frame of the bike was equally massive, the handlebar came up to my chest. It was painted blue with steel accents.

Stick some guns on it and it would be a full-fledged tank.

The Tankacycle rumbled across the asphalt. I say rumbled because of that's what the ground was doing, the ground was shaking. Loose pieces of asphalt bounced across the ground.

Armsmaster pulled up not twenty feet from me and my guide. The bass rumbling ceased as the newcomer swung his leg over the bike.

Armsmaster easily stood a little over six feet, decked out in full midnight blue power armor. Interlocking armor plates shifted as he twisted his arm behind his back. From his back, he brought forth a halberd. The wicked-looking polearm looked like someone tried to combine medieval tech with tomorrow's tech.

So, in the end, they ended up with something that really only looked cool.

His upper lip curled ever so slightly beneath his trimmed bread, "Dauntless."

Dauntless inclined his head slightly in response. Armsmaster turned to me, there was a flash of something that I couldn't quite place; or flashes of multiple things. Fear, curiosity, anger, and finally resting on a face of contained anger. What did this guy know about me? I don't think he liked me. Did you not approve of my methods? Dauntless didn't.

"You must be Mr. Harper." It was spoken without a hint of emotion, this guy was good.

I answered as if it was a question, "Yup that's me."

Armsmaster didn't have a response he just turned back to Dauntless. "Suppose I should be detaining you and bringing you back to the Rig. Running off and disregarding your orders." He sneered to the other hero, "No less with him!" he pointed an armored finger at me. "A parahuman that right now is known for committing homicide. I should be arresting him, maybe even you, for working with him." the hero grimaced like he had taken a bite of something sour. "But I have been ordered not too."

"Self-defence?" I tried to butt in. I didn't want to be arrested.

Dauntless and Armsmaster ignored me. "It is better to be out here trying to fix the problem than holed up in Rig or the PRT headquarters!" Fired back Dauntless.

"We have to find a course of action!" Armsamster had now lost his cool.

My guide threw his hands up in the air, "We have to find a course of action?" he mocked his fellow hero. "Well guess what! I found one, go out and there find Bakuda! And make it so that she will never ever harm another person!"

"You plan to kill her!?"

Dauntless take the accusation in stride, "YES! Her right to live was forfeit the moment she started sticking bombs in people!"

And here I thought Dauntless was against killing people. Not that I was complaining, and hey if Dauntless didn't kill I would.

"What about the Unwritten Rules?" Armsmaster questioned. this guy was a stickler for the rules, wasn't he? I was going to have to ask Dauntless about the Unwritten Rules. Now that I think about it rules that are unwritten aren't really rules more like guidelines. Why did they sound so binding?

"Unwritten Rules be damned" I raised my non-existent eyebrows at that. "She has killed enough to have a kill order!" stated Dauntless with a huff. "I don't care if she doesn't have one yet she will soon." Dauntless' word takes a darker turn. "She won't need one soon."

Armsmaster swallowed hard, I didn't expect that.

"Thomas, let's get to that meeting." Dauntless strode off.

Armsmaster left moments later, the sour look still on his face.

With a shrug, I followed after Dauntless' fleeing from. That interaction made zero sense to me.

I quick-paced jog brought me up beside my guide. As silent as a grave, I walked along with him, silent because of how angry he seemed. Crossed a couple of empty streets, went through some alleys. All the while Dauntless stewed with barely contained fury.

After what felt like an eternity I broke the silence, "What are the unwritten rules?" I was truly curious, what were these rules that seemed to bind people.

Dauntless swallowed hard, "They guidelines that became rules and eventually were made law." he kicked a loose piece of asphalt, "The name, confuses people, they are not unwritten, they are written. In almost every country. Most of these rules already followed under a law or two."

I nodded along, learning about the not so unwritten rules. "The first of these rules is to respect the secret identities of others. This one means that when you are out of your cape persona they are supposed to leave you to allow."

I nodded again, seemed like a good rule; one that I would probably end up breaking. "Next, is no violence or power usage during meetings of multiple groups." Dauntless had stopped walking now. "This is why we should be fine at the meeting," he added.

"Try not to use lethal force." He was now counting them with his fingers.

Who made up these rules?

"No attacking civilians at large." Something told me that most of these rules were not followed.

Dauntless continued unaware of my thoughts. "No mind control; that one's self-explanatory. No sexual violence already falls under a law. Don't use guns-"

I held up my hands in a hold-up gesture, "No guns? Wouldn't that be the most effective way of stopping people?"

The hero shrugged, "They are considered too lethal, more death seems to happen when they are involved in a cape fight."

Ok, there is a reason police officers carry them. But I didn't voice this, I just nodded sparingly for him to continue.

"Then there is the Endbringer Truce. These ones are not written down."

Endbringer Truce? What would warrant something called that? "Endbringer Truce?" I asked confused.

"Yes, a set of rules that are followed when fighting an Endbringer."

Now I was more confused. "Endbringer?"

Dauntless looked momentarily confused for a second before it passed. "That's right, no memory… Endbringers are monstrous unkillable beings of destruction. They usually appear once every couple of months."

"Plural?"

"Yeah, there is three of them."

"Three monstrous unkillable beings of destruction?" I asked rhetorically. "What kind of destruction?"

Dauntless looked off down the road, "Cities, they usually destroy a city."

Cities! "And no one has killed one?"

Dauntless looked a little pained, "I said unkillable. Capes gather in massive numbers every time one is sighted. Hundreds if not thousands of parahumans, and we can't do a thing. Sometimes we think we've won, but we never really do."Dauntless turned back to me, most of his face was obscured by his helmet. His lips were stretched into a tight line. "I have fought them a couple of times."

I know a conversation killer when I hear one, but nonetheless, I tried to keep the conversation going. "How long have they been around?"

Dauntless was silent for a moment, "Around Eighteen years."

"Are they all the same? And like how monstrous are we talking?"

"The first of the Enbringers to appear was Behemoth. Over forty feet tall, with gray skin." I was rethinking my skin color. Unaware of my thoughts the hero continued to describe the city-destroying monster. "With what I can only describe as rock spikes coming out of him. His most memorable feature is his single giant red eye." Dauntless shuddered. "His mouth is also pretty memorable with an orange glow coming from deep within his throat constantly."

"Does he breathe fire?"

"Kind of. We think he's a dynakinetic, controls energy." A very powerful power, given that everything has energy, I mused silently, "Makes people burn up from the inside. They kind of just pop." Dauntless made a face I couldn't quite place the meaning of. "Of course, we can't forget the lightning, either."

"Lightning?" I asked slowly.

"From his fingertips. Set fires, and hits people. Destroys things." then he muttered under his breath. "Doesn't behave as lightning should."

"Is there more?"

"Yeah there more, but I'll only touch on one more feature then we'll move on to the next Endbringer." state the hero plainly. "Heat generation, he usually heats up the area around himself. All around he's pretty horrible to fight."

"Then there's his younger brother, Leviathan. A thirty-foot tall monster that has hydrokinesis. A wicked tail and super speed. Always comes from the sea. Sunk a couple islands, Newfoundland, Kyushu. It's regarded as the weakest of the Endbringers."

This Endbringer didn't sound as bad as the first. "Who's the final one?"

"The worst one." Dauntless looked straight at were my eyes would be if I had any. "When she first appeared we thought she was an angel. She sang a beautiful song." my guide now looked very disturbed. "We now know that once you hear her song for too long you go mad." I raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "We have to quarantine entire cities after she hits them. And that's when we don't drive her off soon enough."

"How often are you able to drive her off?"

Dauntless was once again silent for a long moment, "I'd say one out of three times we drive her off fast enough."

That sounded pretty bad, "What's she called?"

"The Simurgh." I could hear the capitalization of the.

"What's she look like?" he did say they thought she was an angel.

"Fifteen-foot tall naked marble woman with wings sprouting _everywhere _willy nilly."

"Naked?"

"Well, she covers herself with some of her wings."

I nodded, I would have laughed but I felt it would be inappropriate.

Dauntless looked around, "It's getting late we need to get to that meeting." I could see the sun had already begun its descent. "I'll tell you more about the Endbringers another time." He paused, "And the world situation in general." he added.

I nodded in acknowledgment, just having the conversation told me about how much I need to learn about this place.

"But before we head to the meeting you need a cape name."

A cape name? Had he mentioned something like this before? "Cape name?"

"Yes, an alias. Something that you will be called. A name that is yours but not your real name."

"What's wrong with my real name." I worked hard to recover that memory.

Dauntless must have noticed my tone, "Nothing, it's just you're a cape, and capes go by their cape name. Going by your real name is sure to attract trouble."

The hero sighed, "Just pick something that is memorable and doesn't sound… stupid." I felt like he was going to say a different word. "You can change it later if you want." He added.

I stood there, something memorable but not stupid. That could mean a lot of things. A list of names came to mind, Sculpture, a name based on my current appearance. Effigy, a fancy word for a sculpture. neither of those names stood out.

Rhodes, or more specifically the Colossus of Rhodes. A name that would certainly fit, looking like a statue and having the ability to become a colossus like being. Not bad, I thought, that one doesn't sound stupid.

But it wasn't the perfect fit, I felt like it didn't portray myself to the fullest. There was another name that came to mind. Usurper, a name that did not just say who I was but what I was. A being that could take on the shaper of another thing or person.

Well, it was either that or demon-hunter-killer-thing from hell.

"I thought of a name," I announced.

Dauntless looked over to me and gestured for me to continue.

"Usurper," I state the name simply.

"Why that?" Had he even thought about it for a second?

I opened my metaphorical mouth to answer but stopped, I still had not told him about my full capabilities. Should I or should I not, the answer was easy, there was no reason not to tell him.

"It describes my power."

Dauntless was confused, "I thought you said you were a brute? What does that have to do with being a usurper?"

I ignored his strange choice of words to describe my previous known powers. "That was before I knew about my full capabilities." I lied, "And there didn't seem like a good time to tell you about it." I shrugged, "I'm a mass creating shapeshifter." that was the simplest way to describe what my power was.

The hero looked at me warily, "It makes sense now that I look back at it." he placed the butt of his spear into the ground, "Especially the metal discs in the ABB member's back."

"How far can you shapeshift."

"Pretty far." I shifted my left hand into a blade, before changing it back. "I can get rid of my current appearance." A ripple across my skin and I had shifted to look human. This time I had clothes on. "Pretty perfect." I shifted back to my original appearance.

Dauntless look terrified, "Glad you're on my side." He swallowed, "Let's get to the meeting."

I followed as my guide stiffly walked out of the alley. Why was he terrified of my shapeshifting, I can understand being unnerved but terrified?


	8. Interlude 1

Dauntless:

Dauntless could use a lot of different words to describe Thomas Gawain Harper. Violent, inhuman, shapeshifter, ignorant, amnesiac. Even now he glanced at Thomas, a featureless ugly gray, human-shaped figure. If one had only heard of Mannequin they would think Harper was the infamous villain. But the worst part was the way he acted, there was no extra movement, he stood perfectly still, no breathing either. Like a sculpture, another word to describe the thing that wanted to be a hero.

Wanted to be a hero. Based on the way he acted when Dauntless confronted him about killing, he seemed indifferent about it. Only agreeing and making an empty promise. The hero knew that if given the chance again Thomas would kill.

Dauntless' only chance was that if he stuck with him he would learn. He was amnesic after all.

Usurper, even the name he had picked as his cape name was wrong. A name that a villain would choose, but it was fitting. The ability to usurp another's appearance was an important factor. Dauntless knew that if the Protectorate got a hold of him, they would surely neuter his power. Only allow him to take certain forms, just for PR. The hero was well aware of the current stance on master and stranger powers.

"How much farther?" Thomas' even emotionless voice broke through the silence. That was the other thing, his voice, it wasn't human. It was the voice of something mimicking a human. But when he shifted into a human, the mimicking was perfect, gone were all the telltale signs of him being alien-like. That's what bothered Dauntless so much.

The hero brought up his mental map of the bay, "Not much farther, two blocks."

There was no answer, another thing Dauntless disliked; the silence. Usurper could be completely silent, even his footfalls made only microscopic sounds. While that could be useful it wasn't in this particular setting. All it did was unnerve the hero.

Dauntless didn't want to think of the PRT threat classifications he would have. Most likely a brute six, changer five, and a stranger sub-classification. High enough to gain attention, especially in those categories. Something told the hero those numbers would only rise as more time passed. Only because he was sure Thomas could do more.

Looked both ways before crossing an empty street. Somer's Rock was fairly close now. Close enough that he would have to table his wandering thoughts. He had to have his head fully in the game.

And hopefully, Thomas wouldn't do anything stupid during the meeting.

Armsmaster:

The video restarted once again. Starting from the beginning, Armsmaster watched as the parahuman Thomas Harper shapeshifted in his cell. The change was fast, almost to the extreme, change of skin color, the growing of the hair, the adding of the facial features. It didn't matter what it was, it all happened in the space of a few seconds.

One moment, an ugly human-shaped figure, the next a human.

The tinkertech sensors in the cameras picked up all the internals of the body. What they had put in the cell wasn't human, but at that moment he was human. It suggested some sort of breaker/changer power, in addition to the brute power already observed. But Armsmaster disregarded that thought when he saw the next part. Whatever the thing was, he seemed to realize he was naked after a short joyous celebration. In a single moment, clothes began to grow from his body. Once again a very disturbing image, clothes forming on a body. Thomas stood up in his cell, taking a practice step forward. A completely normal step, despite being completely silent. Armsmaster used the word normal because before taking the appearance of a human Harper most certainly didn't act normal. Before the transformation, Harper could have been mistaken for a statue for how still he was; no extra movement.

The next part of the clip firmly planted Thomas as a very strong changer cape. Harper looked down at his hand, which then shifted into a blade, even going so far as to change into steel. Or at least that's what the sensors picked up, a total monomolecular change to a specific part of the body.

Thomas stood for a moment with the blade hand, and then he shifted back to his pre-human appearance. A body that consisted of stainless steel, it was the same as normal stainless steel in most respects; except it had a high nickel content. Attributing to higher density and strength than normal steel.

But then again, if his body really was stainless steel it should not be moving the way it should. Armsmaster wrote it off as another occurrence of parahuman abilities affecting the natural world strangely.

He would probably have more information on the new parahuman if he had interacted with him during his meeting with the cape and Dauntless. A meeting that ultimately failed due to Dauntless not seeing reason and the Director specifically ordering him not to arrest Thomas Harper. An order that while Armsmaster found strange but did not question it. And truthfully Armsmaster wasn't sure about taking on the cape that killed a ramped up Lung; especially one that did so through brute force.


	9. Chapter 8

Dauntless looked at me a little funny a few times as we walked the final stretch to the appointed meeting place.

It wasn't until we were just across the street from the place that he actually spoke to me. His gaze firmly fixed upon the dinner slash bar, "Please remember to let me do the talking, and follow my lead."

I nodded, "Can do."

Dauntless huffed something under his breath. Looking both ways first he crossed the street. I followed soon after, not looking both ways.

Crossing the street I slowed just enough to take in building before me. In one word it looked gross. Gray and black paint that looked over twenty years old; just like every building. Rusty iron bars across the windows, with seedy-looking white curtains drawn on the inside. It made me wonder how such a place ended up neutral ground. They could have at least picked a nice place. If Dauntless hadn't told me to stay quiet I would've had words with the owner.

The hero pulled the door open with just a little too much force. The bell that announced our presence rung cheerily. Probably the only cheer thing in the entire place.

The inside resembled the outside in everything but color. The colors were different I think; I wasn't quite sure under all the stains.

Before us, directly in front of the door was a bar. Twins identical in everything except clothes stood behind it. They busied themselves with cleaning the bar top.

My scrutiny of the building would be ended when a strong clearly masculine voice cut through the silence that had befallen the place.

"Dauntless and the new brute." My head whipped around to face who had spoken. To the left in the sitting area of the pub, a couple of tables had been drawn together. This formed an impromptu meeting table. Disgusting green table clothes covered the table; I really needed to talk to whoever the owner was.

But I was getting off-topic, the man that had spoken wore the most elaborate armor I had ever seen. Granted I had not seen that much armor, but this guys armor was over the top. He even wore a crown, who did he think he was? A king or something. Even the way he was sitting conveyed his arrogance. He sat with good posture while still somehow reclining in the chair.

"Who's he?" I asked my companion. My head tilted just a little in his direction.

Dauntless answered quietly, "Kaiser, he's the leader of the Empire 88."

I nodded, the 88 was the other gang. With my question answered I finally looked at the other occupants of the room. It looked as though our entrance had interrupted the passing out of… DVDs or were they CDs? Judging by what the motorcycle helmet guy was holding out to one of the occupants, skinny ass man.

I mean the guy was super skinny. While wearing spandex.

Dauntless cleared his throat once again bringing me out of my thoughts. "We need two more chairs."

There was movement behind us, one of the bartenders fetching us chairs I guessed.

Once again my observation of the room started. Besides just Kaiser, a guy with a motorcycle helmet stylized like a skull and skinny ass man. There was also: Tophat man, he looked like he was trying too hard. Also, a girl wearing a cross between Asian laminar and riot gear. I really spare a glance at the other people in the booths, they seem unimportant at the time.

But the one occupant that really stood out was the miniature sun. the light that radiated from the figure behind Kaiser was blinding. Or it was until something just shifted, and the light dimmed into almost nothing for me. The person behind the light was a very bland looking woman of middle age. Wasn't ugly but they weren't pretty either.

The motorcycle guy turned to us, "Will you be needing a CD?"

"No, we won't Grue," Dauntless said the guy's name for my sake. "We already know enough about Bakuda."

Grue nodded, he looked very uncomfortable talking with us.

As soon as the handing out of CDs was done skinny ass man spoke up breaking the silence. "So," he began, cracking his knuckles one at a time. "We're in agreement? The ABB cannot be allowed to continue operating."

There were nods mummers of agreement from everyone. But I just whispered to myself, "No shit, you think."

Dauntless smirked beneath his helmet, he had heard me.

Skinny ass man continued unaware of my words. "Then I suggest we establish a truce. Not just everyone here, but between ourselves and the law. I would contact authorities and let them know that until this matter is cleared up, our groups will restrict our illegal activity to only what is absolutely essential to our business, and we will enforce the same for those doing business in our territories. That would let police forces and military focus entirely on the ABB. There would be no violence, infighting between our groups, grabs for territory, thefts or insults. We band together with those we can tolerate for guaranteed victory, and we ignore those we cannot cooperate with."

One of the bartenders, wearing a Hawaiian shirt set down to chairs for us. I looked down doubtfully at the chairs, they looked extremely poorly made and old. I recalled what happened to the cot in the PRT holding cell and whispered to Dauntless. "I think I'll stand."

The hero looked at me before nodding, he understood. I could have turned into something lighter, but I didn't want to drop my durability at that moment.

The dialogue around the table had not ceased. Laminaria wearing lady was now talking about how she and her group were mercenaries and if someone didn't hire them they would be on the other side. I didn't care.

Skinny ass man apparently did, "Unfortunate, but you and I can talk after this meeting is done. I'd prefer to keep matters simple. You're okay with the other terms?"

The mercenary nodded, "Keeping on the down-low, not kicking up a fuss with other groups? That's status quo with my group anyways."

Skinny ass man turned to Kaiser, "Kaiser?"

The arrogant crown-wearing parahuman gave his words of agreement, "I think it is acceptable."

Motorcycle helmet guy Grue spoke next "I was talking to my group about doing something not too different from what Coil just proposed," he paused, "Yeah, we're cool with it."

So skinny ass man's name was Coil, what a dumb name. It held like zero meaning. I was going to have to ask Dauntless about him.

Next was Tophat Man who had stayed quiet throughout, now also pitched in his words of agreement, "Sure," He said, "Not a problem. We're in."

All heads turned to Dauntless and me, I shrugged letting Dauntless make the decision for the both of us.

The hero drummed his fingers against the wood table. "We agree to these terms, but we _will _stop you if we see anything illegal done."

Coil interrupted Dauntless, "What if we have to kill some of the ABB?"

"Best you try not to, only kill if they are a reasonable threat to your life," Dauntless smirked.

"Does this rule apply to your pet also?" Kaiser tilted his head at me. Did he just call me a pet?!

Dauntless didn't miss a beat, "Yes. there are no exceptions."

Kaiser didn't look happy but he didn't say anything else. He must have heard of my methods.

"Don't worry Usurper and I will be working separately from all of you. This is just for coordination so we don't have multiple groups hitting the same place." Dauntless stated, fingers still drumming the table.

Coil clapped his hands together, "Well then now that we are all in agreement we can conclude this meeting. Are there any offers, announcements, or grievances?"

"I've got a complaint." My head turned to the man that had spoken. He sat in the booth directly behind Kaiser. A large hairy man, that would have fit right in with Viking raiders. His face was covered by a snarling wolf mask.

If I had eyes they would have been rolling. Was everyone overdramatic in this world?

The man looked at the booth behind Grue. "My complaint's with her." the booth behind Grue was occupied with three females and a very feminine looking young male. Gonna have to be a more specific buddy.

The motorcycle guy Grue sated calmly, "What's the issue?" he seemed to also be leaking inky darkness from his body.

"The crazy one, Hellhound, she-" began the Viking like guy.

"Bitch." interrupted the ugly female from Grue's booth. "Only the panty-ass heroes call me Hellhound. It's Bitch."

"Don't fucking care," growled the burly man, "You attacked my business. Set your fucking dog on my _customers_. Lucky I wasn't there, whore."

Grue looked the newly name Bitch, "That's the kind of risk you run, doing business in Brockton Bay. Capes can and will get in your way, hero or villain."

Now everyone was watching the argument intently.

Angry the man glared at him, "It's a matter of respect. You want to fuck with my business, and we're not at war? You let me know if you've got an issue, first. Let me decide if I want to move shop."

I decided I had enough, my voice rang clear-cutting through the tension like a knife through hot butter. "Can we leave Dauntless? I tire of the bickering of these idiots."

Everyone head swiveled to look at me, my arms crossed, I could take them all.

Dauntless seemed the least surprise, "I also see no reason for the arguing. Not moments ago you all agreed to a truce. Now you want to break it. But such is the worth of the words of _villains_." he spat the last word.

Burly man looked absolutely angry. Guess he thought his issue was important.

Before any more words could be traded Dauntless dropped a card on the table. He had his hero name on it and a string of numbers. "Whoever is organizing this can contact me through this number."

He stood, slamming the butt of his spear into the ground he turned to me. "Let's go, Usurper."

With that Dauntless and I left the building.

We were a little ways away before anything was spoken, "Who was the big angry guy?" I asked as I glanced back at the pub. No one else had left yet.

Dauntless swung his spear lazily, it arced with electricity with every swing. "You mean Hookwolf? The guy that was mad at Hellhound?"

I decided not to say anything about the so-called Hellhound had said about people that called her that. "Yeah, that guy."

"He's part of the Empire Eighty-Eight. His power allows him to turn into a wolf made of hooks." He chuckled to himself, "Someone I know once called him a wolf blender." Dauntless expression turned dark. "He's a murderer, just runs at people, cuts 'em to ribbons."

I solemnly nodded, "So he is bad, really bad."

Dauntless looked me in the eyes or at least where my eyes would have been. "If you ever run into him, kill him. He is that dangerous." he paused, "He deserves it."

I did know what to say, so I was silent. I wondered what happened to the guy that got angry at me for killing someone? To the guy that told villains not kill?

"Were we the only heroes in there?"

"I would hesitate to call you a hero, more like a probationary hero. But yes we were the only heroes." A shrug, "The heroes in this city are outnumbered."

How bad was this city, on a scale of one to ten I think I would give it a zero? Maybe a negative one.

"So.. Grue, what's his story?" I asked as I thought back to the meeting. He seemed to be talking the most. Besides skinny ass man...

Dauntless pursed his lips, "Not much, he and his are recent. The biggest thing they did was rob a bank; they are a small-time team. Call themselves the Undersiders. All of the members are fairly new to the playing board." Dauntless turned down an alleyway. "By way of powers, he creates a cloud of light and sound." he looked at me, "If you end up in his cloud try to get out, don't wildly try to hit something."

"Can do, what about the other members?"

"There's Tattletale, an information-gathering thinker-"

"Thinker?" I asked confused.

Dauntless looked confused for a second also, "Powers related to perception, information gathering, enhanced skills." the hero stopped walking, "Take, for example, Über; he is a local villain. He becomes skilled at anything he tries his hand at."

"Powerful?" could do a lot with that...

"He's not too intelligent. But thinkers can also have post or pre-cognition, clairvoyance. Really anything related to the mind."

"Ok, I think I got it. Back to the Undersiders."

Dauntless nodded. "There is also, Regent, a low-level Master that causes muscle spasms."

Master was pretty straight forward I didn't need any clarification on that.

"Hellhound, or as she likes to be called Bitch," I remembered she was the one that Hookwolf was angry with. "She is also a master, empowers dogs, makes 'em really big and strong. Has slight control over them."

"Their newest member is Skitter, a bug controller, not much else to say."

Bug control? Why become a villain? Ever heard of the pest removal industry?

"I can see why they're a small-time team. But for a small-time team, they certainly did most of the talking."

"They had a run-in with Bakuda, think it makes them important. And remember they are all villains it was all posturing, showing who is the strongest."

"What about the other guy? Coil?" He was also one of the more prominent speakers.

"Another small-time villain, supposed only parahuman in his group. Not much is known about him. Not even his powers."

"Okay, and Kaiser?"

"Arguably the most powerful cape the city, with Lung dead. He is the leader of the Empire Eighty-Eight; Nazis. His gang has the most parahumans, they're the main threat to the Protectorate. His power is metal generation, he can create metal from almost any solid object." he added after a moment, "Hookwolf is part of his gang."

I remembered the figure that glowed brightly behind Kaiser. "What about the miniature sun?"

Dauntless looked thoughtful. "Purity, a _former member _of the Empire Eighty-Eight, I don't know how accurate the information is now. Her power is to release kinetically charged beams of light, this also allows her to fly."

"What about the glowing?"

The hero shrugged, "Side effect of her power? Never really thought about it."

I thought about the one other person at the table, "Tophat guy, who's he?"

Dauntless started walking again, "Trickster? He switches the places of two object of similar mass. He can use this on himself and others." The hero casually kicked a green dumpster, "He is the leader of a group of traveling villains, hence their name, The Travelers."

"So what else can you tell me of the Brockton Bay…" I paused, "Parahumans." I finished.

Dauntless laughed, "Lots I can tell you lots…" And thus began your very long conversation about the situation of the ever edgy city Brockton Bay. all the while Dauntless led me through it perilous streets and alleyways.


	10. Chapter 9

It wasn't long before nightfall came, due to my inhuman physiology I had no need for sleep, or at least that's what I believed. Dauntless, on the other hand, He still needed sleep. Based on my observations, his powers only affected his armaments; shield, boots, spear, and maybe something else.

I spared a glance at the hero, he looked ragged. Why had I not noticed before? We had literally been fighting the entire day. One fight ended with Dauntless being blown out of a building.

"Dauntless?" I began, "I think you need a break." I was blunt and to the point.

The hoplite turned his tired gaze to me, "There's no place to rest." he swallowed, "My house is across town, I can't bring you to the Rig, or the PRT building."

The Rig? That was a new one, I put it aside for now. "I dunno, just sleep on a roof or something." He could fly, right?

Dauntless laughed, it was a hollow thing, "Sleep? On a roof?"

I nodded, "Yeah, we just get on a roof, it's safe and secure. Who's going to look for us on a roof?" I mean we weren't going to sleep in an alleyway. "I don't need to sleep. So I'll just take a watch and wake you if anything happens."

"Sleeping on a roof is not safe or secure." Was the retort.

"With me, it will be." I shrugged, "Just fly us up." I pointed at the building next to us. An old apartment building, that appeared to not be in use.

The hero sighed, "fine, but you're finding your own way up."

"Why?" I whined.

"Too heavy." He grunted.

Oh, I had totally forgotten about my weight. I thought about what I was made of. I reached inside, Steel, no wait, Stainless steel with heightened nickel content. That was heavy. I remembered when I first awoke, I was shot, and I bled. I wasn't metal then, so why not change to that. That form felt organic but most definitely alien.

With just a thought, the shiver was sent down my, my gunmetal appearance changed back to the ugly molten gray.

All this though process and changing the only took a second, "Now try." I stated to the hero.

The hero is question looked surprised, he had noticed my change, "You sure? I just thought of somewhere we could crash."

Oh, ok, "Where?"

"There's a small police substation not far from here. As Heroes we should be able to crash there."

It beats hanging out on a roof, 'Sure, just lead the way."

A short couple of minutes later we stood in front of what I would consider the worst police station ever. The place was run down, and when I say run down I mean it. The paint was faded and peeling, the concrete was cracked. A rusty barbed-wire fence surrounded the building. Only two cruisers were parked in the lot. One looked fine but old. The other was a mess. The windows were broken and the car had been graffitied. Everything that could be vaguely valuable was gone from the car.

"You sure this is a police station?"

"Yes," Dauntless pointed out a sign, above the metal door. In rusted metal words _Brockton Bay Police Department Substation 3_.

"Is it still active?"

"Yes, I'm sure it's still active."

After stumbling across the mother of all potholes we stood before the door. It looked worse up close. A simple metal door, mild steel sheet door if I remembered the type right. A square tinted window was in the door at head height.

Dauntless reached over to the right side of the door, his finger brushed over a button. A buzzer I guessed, as a guess that proved correct.

After a few moments, a distinctly male voice answered, "This's Officer Wallis, how can I help you?"

Dauntless cleared his throat, "This is Protectorate Hero Dauntless."

"Dauntless?" Answered the cop after a moment. "I'll head over to the door in a moment."

A shadow crossed over the tinted window for a moment. Then began the sound of bolt unlocking. For a few agonizing moments, Dauntless and I listened as deadbolt after deadbolt was undone.

The door was opened by an average looking cop with a receding hairline. His cheeks were slightly red, as he huffed out, "It's really you? Dauntless? Did the department finally send someone to help?" he sounded so hopeful.

Before either of us could answer he ushered us in. the inside of the building was a little better kept outside. We were in a small but well set up lobby room. The only furniture is a couple of chairs and a large desk at the far end of the room.

"We are not here to help you with your problem." Dauntless paused at the look in the man's face as his hopes were crushed. "We are here to rest for a bit before hitting the ABB."

The man's face lit up at the end. "So you have come to help with my problem."

I stayed silent letting Dauntless do the talking, "What exactly is your problem?"

The Officer seemed to get agitated, "My problem?! Is that the ABB is running amok around here, grabbing people right and left." he sighed running a hand over his head, "And I'm only one overweight cop, I can't do anything." he didn't look overweight

I chose that moment to step in, "Once we're done, you won't have to worry about the ABB." Officer Wallis looked at me warily. Guess I still looked scary...

Dauntless nodded, "Before the week's over the ABB will be gone."

"Then I'll be coming with you." Stated the Cop standing a little bit taller.

Dauntless stuttered, "Coming with us? We're going into a cape fight."

The cop laughed, it was a deep thing. "I've been a cop for twenty-five years, and ten of those years running this substation solo. I think I can handle a cape fight."

I wasn't so sure but I wasn't going to not allow him to come with us. But Dauntless had other ideas.

"Cape fights are no place for regulars."

Officer Wallis laughed him off. "I'll be fine. Break rooms through the door on the farthest left. You'll find some food in there. There should be a couch to sleep on also."

Dauntless realized he wasn't going to win the argument. "Thank you," he said cuttingly before heading to the room.

I paused for a moment and looked at the policeman locked the door while humming a haunting tune. This place really was forsaken by God.

I followed after my guide, into the little room. The room like the rest of the substation I had seen was small and sparsely furnished. A simple plaid sofa, a very small counter with a sink and some coverts, a miniature fridge, and a very old microwave.

It was cozy but small.

Dauntless immediately went for the sofa. He landed with an ungraceful thud, armor and all. I on the other hand went and looked at the fridge, a loaf of bread, some luncheon meats, a block of cheese, and some bottles of water.

I didn't care, not like I need to eat. I head for the empty wall on the far corner. I slid down the wall with my back against it.

I began to think about my powers, shapeshifting. As of now, I hadn't run into any limit on what I could do, well maybe not. I could only turn into things that I had knowledge of, such as a human. I knew how a human worked, now I could tell the name of an organ and its function. No, I didn't have medical knowledge, I had knowledge of how it worked and how it connected to the rest of the body. I understood steel, and what it was made of. Still couldn't name things, I just knew what had to change to become like steel. Or like, in my second fight with the ABB I went to something other than steel, I didn't know what it was, but I knew what I needed to change to become that.

I began to metaphorically scroll through the different forms I had. All the stuff was just changing what I was made of, making myself lighter or heavier.

I chuckled, I could turn into glass, take glass man to a whole new level.

Oh wait, here was the knowledge to become a very large beast, with a very largemouth. I didn't know I felt about that. If its most important feature is its mouth, and I really didn't want to eat anyone, I don't think I was going to use that.

I pulled myself out of the wealth of knowledge stored in my nonexistent brain; I checked there was no brain in my body.

I turned to my current body, I knew there was some way to improve it. While yes I could make myself tougher, but that came with the cost of weighing more. The most obvious answer was blade arms, and more limbs, but that was kind of old. And only gave me better combat prowess.

After a moment of thought, the answer appeared. I didn't know how this body moved, but I did know it had no muscles or bones.

I grabbed the hardest material I had composed myself of as of yet. I then began to design my bones, pulling on the knowledge of the human body.

Next was muscles and tendons, I wasn't about to give myself organs I didn't need. I made the muscles and tendons out of the same fleshy substance I was made of. I didn't need nerves to tell my muscles how to move. My body was made in such a way that there was no center for control, my brain was everywhere, but it still didn't exist. My brain was just so very alien to a human, even I was confused.

The end product was a better, not tougher but certainly stronger body. As before I did not have support inside the body. Before I was like a pillar, now I was like a pillar that had a foundation and extra support keeping it up. All in all, it was an improvement. But I wouldn't know how much of an improvement it would be until the next fight.

Now with that improvement out of the way I could focus on other things. Most importantly increasing my combat effectiveness. While yes punching and stabbing worked, it wasn't going to work all the time. I need to incorporate my shapeshifting. If I could constantly change, that would be a boon. Like what I did with Lung, using the wings and shield when I fought him. Or in the ABB front building, the spears and metal disc. While those were good, what I needed to do was use them all... at the same time.

Heck, if I wanted I could have four arms.

Armor, I could make some sort of cushion around my body, lessen the hits. The less I'm knocked off balance, the more I can attack. I could add blades everywhere and just run at my enemies... oh wait that was stupid.

While I would add the blades I would not run at people.

And don't forget claws, instead of blades I could use claws. That way I could grab my enemies. The ABB wouldn't know what hit them.

I looked at Dauntless, asleep on the sofa. It would be hours before we moved out. With an internal sigh, I turned back to look at what I could do to improve.

I was right in that hours later, based on the clock, five hours. Dauntless awoke. He stumbled off the sofa, adjusting his armor. The hero stuffed a slice of bread into his mouth before he began to drown it down with a water bottle. Ah, the breakfast of champions.

As he while he drank his water I raised to a standing position. "We going?" I questioned.

Dauntless raised one finger in the wait a moment gesture. He stopped guzzling water, "One moment."

The hero head for the sofa, reaching down he picked up his shield and spear, which I guess he placed on the floor. The shield looked different, there were no arcs of electricity coming off it. And it was the size of a dinner plate. His spear also, it looked like any other spear, no white sparks.

Just as I opened my non-existing mouth to say something the shield and spear came to life. "Now I'm ready."

I followed closely behind, as we exited the room. Meeting us in the lobby was the Police Officer from last night, Wallis.

He looked up from fixing the straps on his body armor. Calling it body armor was a little generous. It was more of torso armor.

Dauntless seemed surprised, "Level four body armor?"

"Did say I was coming with you." answered the officer, as he finished and grabbed a pistol off the desk. He holstered the pistol on his thigh, then add some extra magazines, sticking them in pouches. Next was a bandolier of shotgun shells which he attached to his waist below his duty belt.

How much more was this guy gonna stick on himself?

He wasn't done as he slung a shotgun across his back. Finally, he grabbed a short carbine off the desk.

"You done?" I asked the Officer, "I'm not sure you can carry anything more."

He nodded, "Yes, I have everything I need."

"Be aware that this could and most likely will involve hostile capes." Stated Dauntless

The cop nodded again, "I know." he stated simply.

Several minutes later, the three of us were out and headed for the center of the ABB territory.

"So where exactly are we headed?" I questioned Dauntless.

"We have been given a target," by the villains went unspoken. "It's pretty far inside ABB holdings."

"Any information on it?" I asked the Hero,

Dauntless pursed his lips, "Its an abandoned car warehouse, lots of ABB activity around it."

"Nothing more?" Villains were probably just sending us to an ABB hotspot, hoping we would die.

"Which warehouse?" Asked Wallis, the first thing he had said since we left the substation.

"It's the old _Ford_ one."

The officer cursed, "its one of the probable ABB headquarters."

Shit, that meant a lot of mooks, all in one spot… "How far?"

The officer shrugged, "Thirty-minute walk, fifteen if we hustle."

Dauntless grumbled something about flying. I just groaned, "We should have taken a car."

Dauntless chuckled, "Not with your weight."

"Yeah I resent that comment, and I'm a shapeshifter I can be whatever weight I need to be."

"Then why do you insist on being so heavy?"

"Because it makes me tougher," I grumbled.

Wallis looked puzzled, "You're a shapeshifter?"

I looked at him, "Yup, grade A, can be whatever I want." Eighty percent true.

Wallis looked terrified. I didn't care… use to it now.

We continued in relative silence for quite a few minutes after that.

Dauntless was the one to break the silence, "We take a left here." turned his head back to look at us. "We are closer to the heart of ABB holdings than any law enforcement care to go."

"Wait law enforcement gave up on this area?" I asked, not surprised.

Wallis looked pained, "Nothing we can do, besides most of the people here are an active part of the ABB." he shrugged, "It's not like the other areas, here your either ABB or dead."

A fleeting memory of my past life blurred past me, in my past life I was very familiar with gangs and gang violence.

It was strange, that was the first time I had thought of my previous life in a while. Last time I had thought about it was when I remembered my name…more like forced myself to remember.

"So do all the gangs hold territory like this?" I ventured.

"Yes and no," answered Dauntless. "The E88, there isn't much danger in their territory unless you're of a different race than white. Otherwise, the only danger faced is through protection rackets." I made a note, take them out next. "Then there's the Archer's Bridge Merchants. They're just drug dealers and the territory that belongs to them is worthless."

Officer Wallis put his two cents in, "Every month the BBPD will round up a quite a few of them." he shook his head, "There's a lot of them but they don't do anything but sell drugs, and occasionally attack a random person."

Ok, who was worse, White Supremacist or Drug Dealers? Oh, wait, I know what to do, get rid of them both at the same time. The meeting at Somer's Rock would have been the perfect place, all the leadership in one place…

"We're really close, only speak if it really necessary." Spoke Dauntless bringing me out of my thoughts. "We need to get the drop on them. This way through this alleyway."

Dauntless led us into an alleyway. Age-old garbage decorated the ground and walls of the alleyways. We came out the other side onto a back street.

Dauntless motioned for us to stop, he spoke quietly to Wallis and I. "The Warehouse is just around the corner. We need a battle plan."

Officer Wallis fingered his carbine, "I'm just along as support. If you can get me on top of this building." He knocked on the wall of the alleyway. "I can dispatch them from above."

"Done," said Dauntless. "I fly around and hit them in from the rear. Usurper, you hit them from the front." The hero grabbed hold the police officer, "One more thing Usurper." he looked me dead in the face. "Don't hold back. Give it everything."

Dauntless and Wallis shot off the ground up the side of the building.

I grinned and stepped out of the alleyway, ABB better be ready for me, because I was ready for them.


	11. Chapter 10

As I walked straight for the Warehouse, I could feel the shift. Every change sent ecstatic pleasure down my spine.

I grew an extra foot taller. Wings unfurl from my back to be used as shields, they were made of the hardest material I had used yet. One hand became a blade, the other grew three-inch talons. I felt my flesh harden, my body becoming glossy black. I was ready.

My pace quickened, going from a confident stride to slow jog. Before turning into a full outrun. The ground cracked beneath my feet.

I observed the defenses of the building. Lots of ABB wandering around, all armed with firearms. A couple of trucks with larger guns mounted in the bed. On top of the building was what looked like a machine gun nest. Concrete barricades dotted the area, creating a maze for any vehicle, and creating cover for the ABB.

Finally, one of the ABB mooks looked my way. He screamed and ran away closely followed by a couple of other members. They didn't make it far, their heads exploding like cans of tomato sauce.

Everyone that didn't run started firing. My wings found themselves covering me. Lead hell rained down on me. It hit the wings doing no damage, beyond slight indents, which quickly regained their shape. My pace slowed dramatically as I was forced to walk against the continuous barrage of fire.

How was I supposed to see them with my wings in the way? I didn't have eyes, so why not just shift from where I was looking. I felt a jerk, and I was looking at a stream of bullets. I was seeing through my wings…

The ABB was backing up slowly in time with my advancement. At this rate, they would run out of ammo.

Then one of the guns on the back of the trucks began to fire. The muzzle flash was bright. I entered bullet time as I watched the huge round hit my wings. It shredded through before impacting my body. The bullet sunk a couple of inches into my body. My healing factor, instead of pushing the foreign object out, ate it.

Instantly, knowledge of the makeup of the bullet entered my library of knowledge. It was just another metal. Which disappointed me.

But now I know how I got the knowledge of all the stuff in my library. I had to consume things to turn into stuff. But wait, how did I get my understanding of the human body? Did I… eat someone? Nope, too gross to think about.

More rounds tore through my wings and into my body. The gunner had to go. My wish was soon granted as a bullet hit the ABB mook in the chest. Walis had joined the firefight.

The barrage of bullets lessened with the gunner gone.

I made it to the first concrete barrier in my way. I paused for a moment before I internally grinned. My hands shifted back into hands. Reaching down, I grabbed hold of the barricade.

My wings furled back revealing me, an eight-foot-tall demon monster holding a four thousand pound roadblock. I hefted the mass of concrete over my head. My throw was accurate, the barricade sailed through the air. It impacted the truck in the giant gun right on the hood. The car lurched up the back wheel coming off the ground. The car was going to stay like that for the foreseeable future.

Dauntless made his arrival known through as he crashed from on high like a vengeful angel, straight into the machine gun nest. I winced as one of the ABB members flew off the roof.

With all the big guns gone, I dropped the wings. They folded back into my body.

My hands went back to the blade and claw. With a single leap, I jumped right at the ABB members.

Dauntless' words echoed in my head, "_don't hold back, give it everything." _

With a savage grin, I rushed at an ABB member. The mook fell back tripping over a dead body. My hand lashed out, grabbing hold of the neck while the blade arm sliced his belly open. His guts spilled across the ground. I tossed him aside.

Another one joined the fallen as I ripped his head from his body. More fell as I stabbed and clawed my way through the mass of terrified gang members. Limbs were lost, and organs were removed.

One fired a shotgun at point-blank range at me. I twisted avoiding the slug entirely. Palm against the muzzle I push the gun into him. With a satisfying crunch, the gun's butt sunk into his shoulder. A blade flashed, and his head left his shoulders. I caught the head in my clawed hand, before underhanding it at another ABB.

I picked up another barricade at some point. I tossed it aside, it crushed an ABB thug, his crimson blood joining the already growing puddle on the ground under me.

There was a truck at one of the docking bays of the warehouse. A single shove from me made it go wild as it swung around, skidding over the ground. It hit a bump causing it to tip, someone screamed. Most likely crushed.

Shots rang out, but they glanced harmlessly against my nigh-invulnerable skin. More shots rang out, and the ABB died. Apparently, Walis was a crack shot.

Then came the explosion, we were fighting a bomb tinker after all. The heads of the ABB members began to explode right as I reached them.

One sprayed glass everywhere, harmless but annoying. More were just mundane explosions. Some got really exotic, turning an area to ice, turning people into mangled fleshy things.

Soon the area would be riddled with crater and not just blood and bodies.

I watched as Dauntless shield spread over him like a dome, as another ABB member's head exploded.

I ran forward, kicking an ABB thug away just as his head exploded like a blackhole. Space where his head was sucked everything around it into itself. I braced myself against the effect and weathered my way through it. The effect only lasted a few seconds before shutting off. Then everything that it had absorbed exploded outwards violently.

I was covered in blood and gore. Looking more villain than hero. But I didn't care, this needed to be done.

Another head exploded, glassing everything in a two-meter radius. I lost a leg, it was strange. Like something had just severed the bonds to my leg. I had to detach myself from the dead limb and regrow another. A short but annoying process.

Eventually, the ABB numbers began to grow thin. All of them fleeing or dead.

I paused in my what would be called massacring of the ABB. I looked at Dauntless, he looked fine. His armor was spotless except his boots. His boots while they glowed white, they were covered in blood. I looked at myself, I was worse, a mass of red.

Bodies littered the ground. Bodies missing limbs were common as were bodies that looked like they had been fried.

Dauntless rolled his shoulders, "They resisted arrest violently." He stated calmly.

I laughed, he laughed.

I looked to Walis, he was gone from the roof. Head down to us most likely.

Getting to the warehouse, I mock bowed to Dauntless, "Warehouse is yours."

Dauntless grunted, "I hope not, it has terrible property value."

I would have laughed if it wasn't thrown back by an explosion. I watched in slow motion as the red fire exploded in front of me. Dauntless' shield spreading like a dome as the fire washed over him.

I twisted my neck, a figure had just left the warehouse. Red goggles with a gas mask, but that was the most critical feature. In their hands was a modified grenade launcher.

I landed on the ground, my fingers dug into the soil, keeping me from going too far. Like a cool badass, I rose to my feet, smoke curling off my form.

I would have dismissed them as another ABB thug if not for Dauntless' words, "Bakuda!" He yelled. His voice carrying through the silence. "We have come for you! It will either be you leaving here alive or us."

Bakuda laughed her voice sound mangled through the mask. "I like to see you try!" she cocked the grenade launcher.

Another explosive flew from the barrel right at Dauntless. I watched in awe as the Hero surged forward, knocking the projectile out of the air.

The ABB cape, reloaded in record time. The grenade flew from the barrel, forcing Dauntless to bring his shield up to protect himself.

I rushed forward, ready to support my companion. Bakuda knew I was coming, she grabbed a capsule off her belt and tossed it to me. It exploded in a fine dust that eats away at everything it touched. It landed on me, immediately beginning to eat away at my body.

I stared in horror as my body disappeared before my eyes. Was this the way I would go? I fell to the ground as I lost my legs. I landed in the blood, my head sinking in a couple of inches. I lay for a couple of moments. I reached out to my body, only my head remained. Looked like I didn't need the rest. My healing factor worked overtime as it restored my body.

With a feral snarl, I rose to my feet. Dauntless was surrounded by his dome shield as some sort of ice effect ate away at it. He would hold.

Bakuda was laughing her head off. "You think you can just go prancing around my territory and get away with it?" She screamed rhetorically.

"We can and we will," I answered, standing whole again. Something that I guess Bakuda was not expecting.

The ice bomb around Dauntless dissipated. His dome shield retracting into a standard circular shield.

The bomb tinker screamed something incoherent and fired another grenade at Dauntless. The hero was blasted back. The projectile flashed an ugly green against the hero's chest as it slammed him into the ground.

My feet slammed into the ground, pulverizing everything below my feet. Bakuda pulled a grenade off her bandolier. She threw it at me, I moved to dodge, but while still in the air it exploded. It was the same type of explosive as before, fine dust raining down on me.

This time the disintegration of my body started at the top. I focused on my healing factor, forcing it to heal me faster. With half my face missing, and some of my body, the disintegration stopped. Slowly like pushing a boulder up a hill, the effect reversed, holes filled and in my face regrew.

In my hand, I materialized a disc of metal. I threw it at the villain. It spun through the air like a frisbee. Bakuda dropped to the ground, barely avoiding losing her head. Another disc was tossed, this one cut her across the upper arm, red blood spilled upon the earth.

Of course, it could only get better from there.

The demonic villain appeared in front of me. I say demonic in the sense that he wore a mask that depicted a fanged demon. The demon exploded before my eyes, good, it was a regular explosion, red hot fire and force washed over me. When the smoke cleared there, he was again, this time to my side. Once again, I was rocked by an explosion.

I spun around, there were so many. At least four demon capes that all looked the same. One threw a grenade at me, I knocked out of the air with my hand. It flew off and exploded. The other three rushed me exploding in my face.

I watched as another appeared in another place.

Ah, I knew who this was, Dauntless had told me about him after the meeting at Somer's Rock. This was Oni-Lee, a teleporter who left copies of himself behind. The copies would disappear in a little bit.

Another teleport, another copy in my face. I ignored the explosion. Instead, I focused on Oni-Lee's armaments. A knife and bombs, nothing that could seriously harm me. So as long as he didn't have any of those disintegration bombs. I needed to focus on the original or was it the new?

Another Oni-Lee appeared. I grabbed him by the throat and squeezed. He disappeared in a shower of dust.

I shifted my hand to blades, giving myself an extra reach. The suicide bomber appeared, and I cut at him, he disappeared. His teleportation was all based off what he could see right? So I just need to make it so that he couldn't see. I needed to trap him. I needed to become a trap.

Still slicing and dicing at Oni when he came for me, I sent out thin tendrils. They snaked across the ground, mapping it out. They expanded, covering the ground. I was now aware where the demon cape would teleport.

I spared a glance at Dauntless and Bakuda. The ABB tinker was keeping the hero away by launching explosives at him every time he made to advance. The Tinker only had so many bombs.

I felt Oni-lee teleport again, tendrils rose from the ground wrapping around him. I need to cover his eyes before he got away. But it was too late, I could feel the cape land in a different spot. Immediately I tried the same thing, again I wasn't fast enough.

Wait, why I was trying to trap him? Just kill him.

Next time Oni-Lee teleported he was stabbed by a four-foot-long spear that came out of the ground. The cape teleported again, he stumbled and fell. A massive hole through his abdomen.

I stalked towards the fallen cape. Gathering back the ground cover? Well, whatever it was, I gathered it all back.

I reached the cape, my large hand seized him by the neck. I rose him off the ground. The cape gurgled something at me and disappeared in a shower of dust.

Turned away heading for Bakuda and Dauntless. Oni-Lee was dead… there was no coming back from a wound like that.

I turned to Dauntless and Bakuda.

Dauntless flew through the air, not under his own power. He landed with a painful crack. My non-existent eyes flicked to Bukda. I had a choice, head for Dauntless, or kill Bakuda.

I made my choice.

I would put up a shield once I got to his body.

My feet thundered against the ground. Everything slowed. I watched in slow motion as Bakuda reload her grenade launcher. I could hear every mechanical piece in the weapon turn, and the drum rotated. Everything clicked into place, I could see her finger squeeze the trigger.

I fumbled as my foot crushed a skull. But it hardly mattered, I was so close. My arm was already expanding, forming a shield.

I was barely a meter from Dauntless when she fired.

It happened so fast. One moment she was fine and the next… there was a bullet through her mask. I could see a hole in her red goggles. Were they red before?

I had other things to worry about like whatever she had fired. The shield had grown, it spread out from my arm, ready to protect.

The plain capsule landed, it popped open.

And everything stopped.


	12. Chapter 11

Everything stopped for Dauntless and me, we were frozen in time. But outside our pocket of time, things didn't stop.

Bakula's head recoiled back, she slumped to the ground. Blood poured out from her broken goggles. We had done it, the ABB's leadership was gone. Soon the gang will disappear as well. It would splinter into pieces.

My short celebration was cut short when I realized what Bakuda had done. The bombs, her bombs, they were all connected to her. They all went off if she died…

White light washed over us, as the warehouse that housed the ABB exploded. We were protected by the bubble of displaced time. I couldn't feel the heat, but I could see it. It was so bright like someone had dropped a sun on the warehouse.

Soon even that light gave away, the area was shrouded in a gray haze.

I was left to wonder how big the blast was. Was the city fine?

But the smoke dissipated like everything before it.

Day faded into night, I was left to watch over the frozen Dauntless… my vigil had begun.

All through the night and the next night, I watched over him.

The next morning I saw the destruction the bombs had caused. All around us, the building had been flattened. In the place of the Warehouse was a massive smoking crater. Luckily the destruction did not seem too widespread only spreading out to three-block radius.

It was on the third day we got our first visitor.

A hero, Armsmaster. I gazed as his bike rolled in silently, for I could not hear anything. He walked up to the pocket of time. He snarled something, he seemed agitated, angry, and to a certain degree, guilty.

He stayed for a bit, he spoke much. I couldn't read lips so what was said would probably never be known except to Armsmaster. His stay came to an end, the hero walked away. His bike rolled away silently.

The day darkened, night came and went.

Over it all, I watched.

It was the seventh day the next set of visitors came. This time there were so many. At least hundreds. The Protectorate was here, or at least I thought it was the Protectorate, for Armsmaster stood with them. There were some troopers from the PRT also. A short fat woman wearing a suit, she seemed to be in charge.

The news crews were here. Also, they took pictures and interviewed the short fat woman. They stayed for a bit longer.

The sun lowered in the sky, my only source of time. The group left, Dauntless and I were left alone once more.

Two days later, I noticed a change in Dauntless. He seemed to be glowing, white light shining forth from him. Every day it got brighter.

On the thirteenth day, yet another group came. This group set up a podium in front of us and, rows of chairs. A large memorial stone was placed, I could not read it for it was facing the wrong way. I could guess what it said.

Soon more people arrived, there were easily hundreds. They all wore black, every single one of them.

This was a memorial service but to some… this was more akin to a funeral. I watched it from my place in the bubble.

So many people got up to speak. I knew they were all here for Dauntless. Words were spoken from the podium, many tears were spilled.

While they cried and talked about times probably long gone, I watched over Dauntless. But it made me think, would I be here till the end of time watching and waiting for freedom that would never come?

Silently I waited, soon things seemed to be wrapping up. People placed flowers on the stone before the pocket of paused time. Only one person stayed longer than the rest, a young adult male he remained for a while until a much older man came, his father? Or his grandfather. The old man led the boy away.

The podium and chairs were all taken away. The sun left us, darkness settled over us, Dauntless' glow being the only source of light.

Wait, this was a pocket of paused time. How were the rays of light penetrating? How were they traveling?

I mentally shrugged, I didn't know, and that was not going to change anytime soon.

The rain came and went. Dauntless glowed brighter. The sun rose and fell.

Then on the sixteenth day, there was a change.

For a couple of seconds, time in the bubble unpaused. I rocketed forward, my body following the last command I had actively given it. Like a well-oiled machine, I landed above the hero, my shield arm expanded, it covered both Dauntless and me. I tried to move but I couldn't, the bubble was back in place.

Like a dome of metal, it protected us, but from what I asked myself.

This time shrouded in the darkness of my shield, time was paused once more.

Dauntless yet lay still, glowing in the darkness.

Unable to see the sun anymore, I did nothing but wait.

I waited and waited.

Time passed.

Dauntless glowed brighter.

And brighter.

He grew so bright that I could no longer look at him. He no longer glowed, he shined. The miniature sun that was once Dauntless grew. Spark of white lightning danced off him and hit the dome of… my flesh that surrounded us.

The sparks seemed to shift through the bubble of time like snakes. The moved, every which way. They were searching, but for what I questioned. A way out maybe.

Soon I thought, well soon to me. For all, I know the bubble could pop, and millions of years would have passed.

Was it better or worse that I didn't see or feel the passage of time? Would this bring me to the edge of insanity, or was I already insane? Could I even become insane?

Then I began to feel it. The bubble was breaking down. Degrading. It could only function for so long. It started to flicker in and out of existence.

With every flicker, I moved slowly drawing the shield back into myself and standing up. It was slow progress, the flickers started with long intervals between them, but soon it began to speed up.

It was like I was glitching, every movement was stalled for God knows how long.

There was nothing flashy when the bubble ceased to exist. I craned my neck, looking up into the heavens. Dark storm clouds darkened the sky, casting shadows upon the earth.

I turned back to Dauntless, he still glowed with white brilliance. The white snake like lightning surrounded him flowing through the air.

Would awake, I asked myself.

"Dauntless?" I spoke the name slowly, "Its gone."

Dauntless didn't stir, he still lay unmoving. I knew he was not dead, for his chest rose steadily. I listen over the quiet dine of the city. I could hear his breath.

I kneeled on the ground before him, "Dauntless, you gotta wake up." I sighed, maybe I would have to pick him up, I looked about, yeah this was probably not the place to be. Even with the ABB gone, or at least I thought they were gone.

I reached out to pick up the hero, my hand brushed against him, and his eyes snapped open.

Like a spotlight, silvery-white light shined from his eye sockets. I recoiled back, that was new!

He rose off the ground, his body moving unnaturally. He hovered in the air several feet off the ground. Slowly the shining light seemed to dim slightly as it was redistributed to different parts of his body. His shield, spear, boots, and his breastplate glowed with white light brighter than the rest of his body.

The light that streamed from his eyes dimmed to just a glow.

But the white lightning danced across his body.

"Dauntless?" I asked what had happened to my friend.

The glowing visage of the hero turned to me, "Thomas?" he asked shakily, "What happened?"

I swallowed, I had even realized it my hands had turned to blades. I retracted the blades, "Bakuda got us with a time bomb. Froze us in time. you were unconscious for it."

The hero floated back down to the ground, "I see."

"What happened to you?"

The hero shook his head, "I don't know, it like I received all my charges at once, hundreds of thousands of charges. Nearly drove me crazy."

"Charges I asked, you never explained your power to me."

The hero paused before spoke, "over twenty or so hours I build up a charge, I take that charge and imbue it with power." He raised his spear as an example, "First the weapon gains durability first, then." he swung his spear, it extended reaching across the ground. It hit a building bringing the entire building down.

I stared at the smoking remains of the building.

"Why did you use that before?"

He seemed just as surprised, "It was a glorified taser before." he choked out.

That one big jump from taser to a weapon of mass destruction.

I would have asked one question about what we were going to do if I wasn't interrupted.

Whenever we think of sirens, we always think low and droning. The Sirens I heard were different. They were more akin to a scream, and endless scream. It screeched, sounding through the city, it was heard for miles.

It wasn't droning, it was an erratic panic screaming.

Dauntless breathed one word, "Endbringer." One word that sent shivers down my spine.

They're here.


	13. Chapter 12

Dauntless said one word, one name. "Addison!"

"Wait! Dauntless whos Addison?!" I called after the hero as he raced off, leaving a trail of white lightning. Who was Addison? Wife? Daughter? Son? Someone of importance, I guessed.

A moment later, I was racing after the flying hero. The only way I could follow him was by the white streak he left behind. He was going fast, really fast.

Every footfall of mine thundered through the city. Every step broke the asphalt below me. I ran across a street, narrowly avoiding being hit by speeding cars. Civilians trying to escape before the Endbringer attacked?

I looked up into the sky, the trail behind Dauntless was fading. I need to go faster. He was going in a straight line.

Meaning, if I ran in a straight line, I would catch up with him. Only a couple of buildings would be destroyed. Ok, maybe several.

I put on an extra burst of speed. I headed for a department store directly in front of me. Turning to my side, I impacted the building with my shoulder. Glass shards landed on the ground. Passing by shelves of goods, I realized I was in a toy store. Only idiots would loot this place.

I smashed through a shelf before going through the back wall. Showering mortar and bricks everywhere.

I ran across another street, slowing just to see the trail made by Dauntless. I dodged a Honda Civic that tried to run me over. Man, what was with civics and this city.

I went through another building, I didn't care to see what store I was in. I just needed to get to Dauntless.

I ran right into an alley, I looked up. No trail! I couldn't see the trail. Claws grew from my fingertips, I launched myself up a building. I climbed up the structure by sticking my claws at least eight inches into the walls.

I pulled myself onto the roof. Looked about, I saw Dauntless as he streaked through the air. He was really far away.

I ran towards the edge of the building. Focusing on being lighter, I felt a shiver down my spine. Wings expanded from my shoulder blades. With a leap, I was off the building. A single beat of the wings sent me soaring into the air.

I steered myself in the direction of Dauntless.

The city looked very different from above. Still dirty, but it was a different angle. Looking about there didn't seem to be that much damage from the ABB's bombs. In fact, the only place that seemed damaged was the warehouse, which was a vast crater.

The sirens still ran that horrible screaming.

Dauntless dropped, he had arrived at his destination, it looked like.

It took me a little bit to catch up to where Dauntless had dropped. I soon as I was at the spot, I tucked my wings in and dropped. I whistled through the air, pulling the wings back inside my body. I reinforced my body, reverting it to its pre-flight state.

I landed on the road, sticking what would have been a perfect three-point landing. But when you weigh a considerable amount, you just end up going into the ground.

Before, I was the basic suburban house. Two stories, in a cherry red color, a little too bright though. The door had been kicked down, Dauntless was already inside. Looking for this _Addison _person. An abandoned moving truck was parked in front of the house.

I walked up to the pathway to the front door. My hand idly slid over the for-sale sign. I had to stoop a little to enter the house. A problem I fix quickly by knocking a few inches off my height.

"Dauntless?" I called out in the empty house. If the for-sale sign was anything to go by, whoever lived here was gone. There was almost no sign of anyone ever living here in awhile.

I entered the kitchen, it was odd to see a kitchen so empty. "Hey, Dauntless, whoever lived here is gone!" I tried calling out to my… Friend?

The silence was getting at me.

I tried the second floor. The floorboards creaked under my weight. I thought about becoming human to fix the problem. Instead, I settled for just switching what I was composed of a lighter material.

At the top of the stairs, I turned right. Down the hall were three doors; one on the right side, one on the left, and one directly down the hall. Only one was open, the one on the right. Silently, I made my way to the door.

I pushed the door open all the way, I stepped into the room. Dauntless was inside, he faced out towards the window. His helmet was off, I didn't see it anywhere.

"Dauntless, whoever you're looking for, they're gone."

Dauntless turned to me, his shining white eyes seemed to peer into my soul. "I left him," he stated simply.

I shook my head, "No, you didn't, you had no control over Bakuda. You didn't know she was going to use a time bomb on us."

"I could have fought her harder. I underestimated her." He clenched his fist, "I went easy on her."

"Dauntless…" I started and stopped. I didn't know what to say. "I'm sure whoever you're looking for, this Addison got out just fine. They have shelters for the Endbringer, right?" He nodded, "I'm sure they're fine, in a shelter right now." I tried to reassure the hero.

Dauntless shudder and let out a deep breath, he ran a gloved hand through the messy black hair. "You're right. Addison would have gotten to the PRT shelter."

"If you want, we can go check?" I asked the hero.

He nodded, "Yeah, let's do that."

No more could be said on my part here, I turned and left the room. I found my way out of the house and waited by the front steps.

It was a little bit before the hero emerged from the house. He still wore no helmet, though, which surprised me. Wouldn't you want the maximum amount of armor in an Endbringer fight? I made no comment, though.

"How far is the shelter?"

Dauntless shrugged, "few miles. Most of the Protectorate and the PRT personal lives quite close to it."

I nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. "If you fly low, I should be able to keep up." I started when the hero looked to walk.

The hero took off, he rocketed down the street. I followed closely after him.

It only took a couple of minutes to reach the shelter. What looked like a basic concrete building of fourteen by fourteen feet. Its door would have looked more in a place like a vault door. Dauntless stood in front of the door, the door was closed.

"I'm sure they made it inside," I stated as a finished the last leg of my run and stopped beside Dauntless.

"Yeah, I'm sure he did too," Dauntless spoke slowly

"Now let's go kill an Endbringer," I said, hoping to raise his spirits.

The hero laughed bitterly, "Now that would be something. Come." he held a hand out to me. At my pause, he added, "Pretty sure I can carry you now if you lose a little weight that is." he said the last part with a smile.

I made myself into the lightest I could and grabbed his hand.

We lifted off the ground, "What are you made of now." said the hero rhetorically.

We rose quickly, entering the building Cumulonimbus clouds. While the view became hazy, I was still able to see. Down below, I could see the waves batter the shore. There was a building with a couple of people flying into it, must be the rally point.

Dauntless set us down in front of the building. The build was tall and nothing else, there was nothing flashy about it that said _Endbringer Rally Point_.

We pushed open the doors, glass doors, I ideally noted. As soon as the doors were opened, I heard a man's voice talking, giving orders.

"-ink, you'll be the greatest assistance! The rest of you-" the man was cut off as someone yelled. Forcefields light up the far wall. The building shuddered and groaned. There was more yelling as one of the force fields failed.

Someone yelled something about strider, and all the capes where gone. Leaving Dauntless and I alone.

Dauntless grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me out of the building and into the air.

Looking around, the only thing I could see was water. Water was everywhere, it washed over everything.

Up in the air, I could see the Endbrigner, the only way to describe it was, monster. The monster traveled at an impressive speed into the city from the water.

This was Leviathan, the second. The one that controlled water. Dauntless did say he was the least of the Enbringers. I watched as buildings were destroyed as the water rushed in from the ocean. If this was the least destructive Enbringer, I didn't want to meet the others.

And I was going to fistfight him, "Get me close to him, Dauntless!" I yelled over the howling wind and rushing water.

I didn't hear Dauntless' response, but we moved towards Leviathan.

Once we got closer, I yelled up to Dauntless. "I need you to drop me on him!"

Dauntless sounded surprised, "You sure?!"

"YES! Just drop me!"

And so he did, as I fell, I focused on one thing. Reinforce, be strong, and be fast. I smashed into the ground, the sound was deafening. On the ground now, I started to add height, swelled another three feet in a matter of seconds.

The Endbirnger had noticed my arrival, he turned around to face me. In all his four-eyed glory.

Then he rushed me, he wasn't fast, he was **Fast**. I barely had time to raise my hand before the monster collided with me. My arms reached out, grabbing hold of the Endbringer. Leviathan's claws slashed at my torso as I flipped him. I slammed the beast into the ground, brought my fist up for a punch. The monster moved, twisting out of my grip, I punched the ground.

Before I could bring up my defenses, a blast of water hit me square in the face. A shield expanded from my handhold off the water as it pushed my back. Water cut off, and I launched forward, right into Leviathan. This time he hit me with his claws and tried to get me with water from behind. My arm reached out, shifting to a blade, the blade hit the Endbinger on the cheek. Water spilled forth from the wound. I brought up a leg, and spartan kicked the monster back.

A salvo of lasers hit the monster while it was down. Funny, the laser didn't seem to actually do damage, in fact, nothing seemed to be doing damage. A soon as the salvo of lasers were done, I moved to attack the Endbringer again. Dodge a swipe of water I grabbed Leviathan and twisted it flipping it on it's back. My foot came crashing down, pinning the monster to the ground. Hey, it was good when you were the same size as the thing you were fighting. A geyser of water hit me in the chest, knock me off balance. Leviathan moved to get away, but a black blur crash into him. His tail knocked whoever the black blur was off to the side.

I was smashed into by water in the shape of the Leviathan. Huh, a water echo, that's what Dauntless was talking about.

My hands turned to blades, looks like I would have to try hacking and slashing. My blades were a blur as they lashed out, cutting into the monster. The cuts hardly did anything to him. Water that spilled forth from him looked fake, he didn't bleed water. He didn't bleed anything. He was kind of like me when I was in a solid form. Just a mass of solid, no liquid.

I would have moved forward if Dauntless hadn't chosen that moment to attack. He came from the heavens like a vengeful angel, no a vengeful god. White lightning danced off him as his shield slammed into the Endbringer from above. With a twirl of his spear, his scraped off a sizable portion of the monster's face.

The monster swiped with its claws. Dauntless raised his shield and blocked the attack. It was so impressive I could have stood there all day watching, but I knew I needed to help.

I pushed off the ground. My feet dug into the asphalt. I sailed through the air, a body slammed the monster just as Dauntless vertically cut the Endbringer from bottom to top. The hit made the monster stumble back, which was all the opening I needed. My massive hand wrapped around the beast's throat. And without heed, my body began to eat the monster. I was like some sort of acid eating into its neck. I understood what it was made of. Something I could replicate. It relied on outside powers to influence it, I couldn't replicate powers… yet.

We couldn't really harm it in its current state. Maybe I could, but only if I held Leviathan in my grip long enough.

The monster struggled harder, water, and claw hitting me over and over again. I began to dig myself into the ground. I sent out roots into the ground, as I continued to eat away at the Endbringer.

Maybe it would have worked, perhaps it wouldn't have.

I would never know because the black blur was back. The blur hit the Enbringer on the right side, pulling him from my grip.

Who was this muscle head? I thought angrily and followed after the Endbringer.

Leviathan was pushed over right into a building, which crumpled. I had to cringe as the thought of property damage crossed my mind for the first time ever.

Dauntless came down once more from the sky, slashing deep into the stunned Endbringer with his spear.

He would have done more if it wasn't for the warning that one cape screamed out. "Wave incoming!"

when you're fighting something that uses water, wave incoming can only mean one thing.

Before me, some parahumans rushed forward, forcefields sprung into existence. But based on what happened to the building before they wouldn't hold. The water smashed into the barriers, some began to flicker under the pure pressure.

With a running leap, I jumped over the barriers. I wasn't going to wait behind them like a pansy.

A geyser of water sprang up before me, I dodged it. The black blur from before hit Leviathan again. I was finally able to get a semi-good look at them; it was a caped woman wearing black and greys. She managed to get her arm hooked around the monster neck, forcing the Endbringer into a chokehold. She pulled him onto the ground, stupid, did she want to drown?

Before Leviathan could push, the cape underwater, hit him with a solid punch. Someone hit the Endbringer with a beam of red energy, I could see that it did at least some damage to the monster.

I thought back to my fight with Lung, I beat him by escalating faster than he could. Becoming bigger and stronger. That's what I needed now, I needed to become bigger and stronger.

I felt a shiver down my spine, alerting me to change. I could feel the effects immediately, I began to tower higher.

All of the sudden, Dauntless was floating beside my head. "You got any idea on how to beat this thing!" he yelled over the fighting.

I watched as a flying mech launched missiles at the monster, they hardly did anything.

"You're able to harm him!" I answered the hero.

Dauntless rolled his shoulders, "I can't stay long enough! Afraid someone's going to hit me!"

I could understand that, with so many capes in one spot, and they all had the same target. I was surprised there wasn't more friendly fire going on.

"We need to get him away from the rest of the fighters. I'll restrain him, and you hit him with everything you got!" I added as an afterthought, "Don't worry about hitting me!"

The hero nodded, and we moved forward together.

Now easily twice the size of Leviathan, I grabbed hold of him and pushed him. It was a tactic bullies used a lot. I slammed the Endbirnger into the side of a building, he tried to twist out of my grip, but this time I had him. Dauntless slammed into the monster head, his spear carving off its face. The Leviathan responded by hitting me in the face with water, temporarily blinding me. When the water caught off, I was still holding the monster, which was missing half its face.

"Hit it in the body!" I yelled, hoping Dauntless would hear me.

I pushed the Endbringer more into the building, nearly going through the building.

Dauntless must've have heard me as he was between Leviathan and I spearing the monster in the chest. The more I pressed on the Endbringer, the more water hit me.

I looked up beyond Leviathan and beyond the building. Incoming was the most concentrated massive wave I had ever seen. It destroyed everything in its path, and it was headed right for Dauntless and I.

My chest opened up, and inky black tendrils grabbed Dauntless, pulling him inside me. The wave hit, Leviathan, the building, and millions of tons of water crashed into me. I released Levitan, focusing on protecting my chest, where Dauntless was being protected.

I spoke into the chamber that held Dauntless, "Massive wave," I stated simply.

I rocked back on my heels, just a couple seconds, and the wave would be gone.

Finally, the wave settled at a less threatening height. My chest opened, and Dauntless flew out, looking slightly confused.

He looked at me strangely, his mouth at an odd angle, "Don't do that again!" he yelled.

I nodded and looked around for Leviathan, dam he moved fast. Already a block away, and the wave only lasted a couple of seconds.

Time to grapple with an Endbringer once more. And this time, he wasn't getting away.


	14. Chapter 13

A cape attacked Leviathan. Large chunks of asphalt were ripped from the ground and thrown at the monster. Every hit made the beast stagger. The attack cut off when Leviathan sent a blast of water down the street, presumably hitting the parahuman.

Leviathan made to move down the street but was caught when a barrier of golden light blocked his path. His claws hit the forcefield, sending a spider web of cracks across it.

But that momentary pause was what Dauntless and I needed to catch up to the Endbringer. Dauntless swung his spear, and an arc of energy flew from it. It caught the monster in the heels. Knocking the Endbringer from his feet.

I hit the Endbringer just as it pulled itself to its feet. The monster dug its feet into the ground, we were at a standstill. The creature's claws lashed out, ripping my chest to shreds. I could care less for the harm that was caused to me due to my regeneration.

Dauntless hit the Endbringer in the back, the force of his blow pushing the Endbringer forward into me. My hands latched onto his head, with a great flick of my wrist, I twisted his neck. If Leviathan had any semblance to normal physiology, his neck would have been broken. But alas, he didn't, and all it accomplished was make the Endbirnger's head face the wrong direction.

A blast of water hit Dauntless, sending the hero spiraling out of control.

I flipped the Endbringer over my body into a building across the street. A blue armored figure got between me and the Endbrigner, Armsmaster. His halberd lashed out, cutting the Endbringer across the chest, the cut was deep. Water seeped from the wound. Armsmaster cut the Endbringer once more, his weapon seemed to be harming Leviathan.

Leviathan was forced into the building, it seemed to be trying to get away from the deadly halberd wielding cape.

I needed to get back into the fight, but Armsmaster was in the way.

Blades of metal rose from the ground, trapping Leviathan. They couldn't hold the Endbringer, not with the strength it had. All it did was hinder Leviathan for a second.

I felt the shiver and let myself go, I dissolved into a liquid. I spread across the ground, like my fight against Oni-Lee. But this time, I was all in the ground, I no longer held a human-like shape. It was my first time using a non-sentient form.

I traveled across the ground, like an inky black tidal wave.

As my senses spread across the ground, I felt Leviathan turn to run but was stopped. By what I didn't know.

Then I felt it, something was coming from underground. Leviathan was pulling the water from under the city.

The storm drain exploded just as I pulled myself back into a human-like state. Right in front of Armsmaster.

The water hit me like a freight train, I focused on a shield, something to protect the people behind me. The water continued to hit the shield I had formed. I was forced back, I made a spike extend from my heels, digging into the ground. It held me in place as I fended off thousands of pounds of water.

I knew the water would stop. Eventually, all I could do was endure.

Armsmaster yelled something I couldn't hear.

I felt the water taper off. I pulled the shield back into my body, catching the tail end as Leviathan rushed off head deep into the city. I felt like we had almost forced him out of the town.

It made me wonder, what if we forced him inland, away from the ocean? I destroyed that idle thought, it wouldn't help me now.

Dauntless flew right at the Endbringer, his shield hit the monster in the side. The Endbringer was forced off balance. I rushed forward my arms expanded, I grabbed hold of the Endbringer from behind. Water rushed over me, but I weathered it.

Dauntless dodged a swipe from the Endbringer's claws before he juked upwards, narrowly avoiding Leviathan's deadly tail.

Dauntless swung his spear in the air, and a blast of energy was released from it. The explosion hit Leviathan, not doing as much damage as when Dauntless was up close.

I pulled myself close using my arms as impromptu grappling hooks. My knee smashed into the Endbringer from behind. I pushed him down, an arm springing from my back to hold his tail in place as it thrashed. I grabbed his arms to keep them in place also.

I yelled out to Dauntless, "Cut his head off!"

Dauntless came down a second later, he stabbed his spear into the base of Leviathan's neck. With a grunt, he pushed the spear through the monster's neck. Pulling the spear out, he swung it once more, it only made it halfway through the monster neck.

Leviathan exploded, water came out of him from every direction. It blasted Dauntless away. I hoped he was ok. I stood firm, my knee firmly placed into the monster back.

It was now or never, I began to eat into the Endbringer, but this time I was focused. I ate through him, like a worm. Twisting and turning, making tunnels into his body, the further in, the harder it got. I tried to go faster, but he just got tougher.

I needed to make sure I wasn't thrown off him. I let myself fully enter him, like an infection, I spread. My body disappeared slowly.

Soon I would not have a body outside the body of the Endbringer. It was strange to be a parasite, I no longer had any sight, I could see what was going on.

I twisted and turned, looking for something important. He was made of layers, and every layer got stronger.

It was slow going, but I began to subsume the monster, turning it's flesh to mine. I was living up to my name, for in these moments, I was indeed the Usurper. Huh, I should add a 'The' to my name. The Usurper.

I sent part of my self to his head, to blind him. Other parts I sent to his limbs. Soon, I thought.

Then I found it, his core. His heart.

My inky black tendrils entered it, spreading through it. It was tough, so very tough. I felt the one that I sent to his head finally cut off his vision. Another got his arm, his left arm. Then his right. Then I got his right leg. Leviathan stumbled but didn't fall. His tail, his left leg. I felt the Endbringer drop, unable to control his limbs. He futilely flopped his body.

I entered the core finally after assaulting it for so long. The core was different than what I expected.

It was a series of links, links to what gave it its power. I examined every link before I began to subsume them, taking them for myself. After I took control of the links, I further examined them. They all controlled a different aspect of Leviathan's power. One liquid kinesis, while useful it was limited to the macro scale. Meaning if I used that power, I would have no fine control. I also wondered why it limited itself to water. The next power was much more useful, density control. It was what the Endbringer used to control how robust its body was. It made me wonder why didn't it make itself tough when I attacked it internally. Oh well, he was gone, I had his powers. I examined the next link, this one was interesting, matter creation, limited to liquids. It was how he created the water echo and the bleeding effect. Another thing that made me wonder, why limit itself to water? It was like it had a specific role it had to function in, it wasn't allowed to stray any bit from that role.

Ah, another link, this one was what allowed for sight. Leviathan could have projected his sight anywhere in the world. Basically, it was like remote viewing through a camera. It also allowed for view all across the electromagnetic spectrum. X-ray, Ultra-violet, visible, infrared, radio, microwave, gamma. Incredibly useful, but some of those I probably already had.

Look! Another link. This one was used for projecting a physical body. Must be how Endbringers' got their bodies, they were just a collection of these links.

But, here was yet one more link, the last link. A control link, this link was like the center for control. It was the mind of the Endbringer. I crushed it, I didn't want anything to do with the mind of this monster.

Now it was my time to leave, the Endbringer was dead. And I had extracted everything of use from it. I pulled myself back to the place I had entered and pulled my body back to its human-like shape.

I startled Dauntless, who was standing by the hole I had created in Leviathan.

"Shit!" He swore and flew several feet away in the air. "That's freaky."

I laughed as I applied the finishing touches to my body, giving it a more human look. Features, useless, but they made me look and feel a little more human. God knows I needed it after what I had done.

Dauntless' eyes darted over my body. Obviously, he noticed the change. "I thought something had happened to you when you disappeared from the fight." He brushed a hand through his hair. 'But, when I saw the hole in Leviathan, I had a pretty strong guess where you were. Especially when Leviathan went crazy at the end. What did you do?" He sounded a little fearful.

He had every reason to be. I was an amnesic-shapeshifting-demon-killer-alien-immortal-Endbringer-slayer-thing from the deepest reaches of hell.

"I killed him, completely and utterly. Leviathan is dead now and forever."

Dauntless nodded slowly, "Yeah, you did a number on him. But it doesn't matter how you killed it. What matters is you killed an Endbringer. Something no one has been able. These things." he stabbed the Endbringer with the butt of his spear. "They have been destroying people's lives, ruining cities, countries. They are the single point of the greatest evil thing in the world. And you have killed one." he pointed a finger at me. "You have brought hope back to a bleak world. And back there," He moved the focus of his finger behind him where I could see dozens of capes. "The world, its eyes turn to you, for strength, and for hope. You are the champion of the world-." Dauntless was cut off mid-sentence by a scream.

"HE KILLED LEVIATHAN!" A very shrill voice screamed.

It was at that moment that I learned what it was like to be a celebrity. All the capes that were involved in the fight all ran at me. Or instead, they ran at Dauntless and me.

From all sides, they came, running, flying. Someone threw confetti in the air. It was unreal.

"How did you do it?" Asked a young red cape in red armor.

'Uh." I pointed at the hole that I entered through. "Well, I got inside him and ate his insides. He had a core once I destroyed that he died."

"Awesome!" Said the young cape.

He has then shoved aside. Much older cape, a woman. "I can't thank you enough for what you have done."

"Yeah." I shrugged, "Anytime."

There was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around; it was the cape from before. The red armored one. "How did you eat him?"

"I absorbed him," I answered simply.

I looked at the dead monster's face. Some and spray painted glasses and mustache on the monster's face. Why they had spray paint during an Endbringer fight, I didn't know.

"What's your name?" Asked a cape-wearing a hockey mask.

"The Usurper," I said, trying to detach myself and get away from the mob.

"Are you a villain?"

"No, I'm a hero." I sighed. Maybe my name was too edgy.

There was a cape carving their name into the Endbringer's body. I watched as they used lasers that emitted from their hands to carve the name, Laserdream. I shrugged whatever.

"Usurper!?" called out a familiar voice, Dauntless he pushed his way through the crowd of parahumans.

"Could you do it again?" A short blonde girl in green, a green visor obscured her face.

Dauntless spared me from answering, "Yes, Vista, he could do it again."

"Dauntless?" she asked, "What happened to your helmet?"

Dauntless sighed, "I left it behind. I didn't feel like I needed it anymore."

"Oh." was the response from Vista.

"Hey, Vista, do you think you could get us out of her."

She looked happy to be needed. "Of course."

Space warped, and we were only a step away from getting out of the crowd and into the street.

"Thanks, Vista." Said Dauntless, and we stepped forward out of the crowd.

"That's a useful power."

"Tell me about it. And the PRT just wants to use her for PR things." Dauntless said tiredly. "Now as I was saying, before-" he was cut off again.

"Dauntless, I would like to speak to the one who slew the Endbringer." interrupted a male voice.

Looked beyond my friend, floating behind him was a cape. He wore a flowing green cloak. Beneath his cloak, he wore sculpted armor, with a featureless mask that was lit up with green lights.

I didn't know who this guy was, but Dauntless seemed quite impressed with him if the way he looked up to the other hero was any indication. "Of course, Eidolon." Dauntless stood aside to allow the cape to float forward.

"I listened to what Dauntless told you. It's true now that you have killed an Endbringer. The world will look to you. There are many things you can do from this moment on. I hope that you will make the right choice. The way to make that right choice is to always remember that you are a hero first and foremost." he gestured to me, "It doesn't matter what you look like or what you call yourself, Usurper. You are a hero. And keep in mind I believe that you and Dauntless hold much promise. I can't speak for the rest of the Triumvirate, but I believe that they hold the same view as myself."

"Thank you, I will keep that in mind," I said to the hero.

Eidolon nodded, "Please do." with those words, he left.

I felt there was something I needed to tell him, but I couldn't remember what it was. It escaped me, like my memories.

"What now?" I asked Dauntless. "What do we do?"

Dauntless ran a hand through his hair, "I need to make sure Addison is okay." he gestured off.

I understood his meaning, "Go find him, I'll just be hanging around."

The hero's eyes shined with appreciation, "Thank you." the hero lifted off the ground. A moment later, he was gone. I was sure Addison would be fine.

I turned back to the capes. They were still crowded around the dead Leviathan. Something told me they would be there for a while.

I had other things I wanted to do, such as check out Leviathan's powers. I looked through my mental library, found the link, and copied it.

I felt no change, besides know that I had the link. Did it work? Had I messed up. Only one way to test it.

I reached out to the water, physically and mentally. I commanded it, I pulled upon it. For a few agonizing moments, nothing happened. Then I saw it, trickling from all directions was water. I pulled again, but this time, I pulled hard. I pulled the water from all around. It was still slow. I pulled, I yanked, violently upon the link.

The roar of water could be heard. It washed through the city head for me. I had called it, it had answered. I stopped pulling and tried holding it in place. It all stopped. It seemed with every use, it became more comfortable to use.

This time I reached for the water in the streets. The unwanted water. I left the water in the pipes alone, the water below me alone.

With a push, I pushed all that water away back into the ocean. Back where it came from.

I stopped, the water was gone. The road around me was dry. Perfectly dry. I looked to the capes would they notice? Maybe, most likely not, they were too busy celebrating. As they should be.

I collapsed the link. It faded into nothing. While I could certainly use it, lots of practice would be needed.

Next, I created the density control link, probably the one that would be most useful to me. I controlled the density of my body. Like turning a dial, the more my density would increase. Turn the dial the other way, and the density decreases. It was a quick fix to make me stronger with fewer drawbacks.

I would certainly keep this one.

The others I was uninterested in.

I turned away from the dead Endbringer, I walked towards the ocean. I would wait for Dauntless there.

After all, I couldn't remember the last time I had seen a beach. Hopefully, they had a beach here, if they didn't, I would just have to make one.

As I walked, I contemplated my situation. How long had it been since I awoke here? It felt like a matter of days. But once I really thought about it had been days, the time bubble really messed things up.

I walked through the empty streets, everything looked wrong. All the people were gone, that's what was wrong. It's funny to take away the people, and what was this place? Just a jungle of concrete, an empty husk. People are what make cities worth something.

And that was why so many came to fight the Endbringer. They didn't just go because it was the big bad, well, maybe some did. But most, they came to try to make sure this city survived. Even for how bad it was.

I stepped through a doorway, well half a door. The rest of the building was gone. Scattered around the area. I could see the ocean, it was calm.

Was there such a thing as the calm after the storm? Or was this just the calm before the storm? Would a storm hit Brockton Bay so soon after the last storm?

**AN: Here is another chapter, because I mess up and posted the same chapter twice.**


	15. Interlude 2

Interlude 2

**Dauntless:**

Dauntless tightened his hand into a fist. Slowly, he relaxed it. All the while, he stared down at his hand. He watched the veins in particular, which glowed a soft white. Only noticeable up close, and when it was dark. They weren't the only part of him that shone, his eyes too. Once a vibrant blue. Now, a bright white. Akin to a spotlight, those he could only hide with great difficulty. Between the glowing of his veins and his eyes. Dauntless had to face it, he was a monstrous cape.

Being a monstrous cape only had one criterion… that one is physically deformed by their power. And Dauntless was physically deformed. Not much, but still it made him a monstrous cape.

He sighed, his right hand running through his hair. At least it was only his veins and skin. But it still made going out in public pain as a civilian. It was no use to bitch about it though, he thought with depreciating amusement to himself.

At least his power got better. It had changed, he no longer needed to _charge_ things over some time. Now he could imbue an object with energy, and it would reach a power level that he could only have reached with years of powering a single piece. Not only that, the equipment got stronger the more he used it. Dauntless first noticed it during the fight with Leviathan. Every hit seemed stronger than the last.

The bubble had changed him, for better or worse. He didn't know.

The rising star they said, in a few years he would have been as powerful as a member of the Triumvirate. What he thought would take years, happened in mere moments. Or that's what it felt like to him.

His thoughts were interrupted as the printer finished its job. With a cheery ding, he turned to the printer. His printer, in his office, in his building. Well, the whole building wasn't his.

After the defeat of Leviathan by Usurper and himself, he had announced to the world that he would start his own hero team. The Usurper and himself as the team leader.

Immediately several countries had reached out to him. They wanted to help by sponsoring the team. The list of countries included Canada, Japan, Norway, Italy, Singapore, France, and Spain. And the U.S, who while they would not officially sponsor them, would give the team certain benefits. Such as the team was given full access to all PRT/Protectorate resources.

Japan and Canada had paid for the modest piece of real estate. An entire floor of a skyscraper in Brockton Bay. In fact, it was one of the only buildings in the bay that were safe to actually be in.

Dauntless stood up, leaving behind the comforts of his office chair. He twisted his back just a little to either side as he crossed the room to the printer. The printer was placed on a plain hip-high table. Made of maple, with steel accents. All of the furniture was supplied by Norway. But almost all of it was not from Norway.

He grabbed the rather large pile of papers he had printed off. Most of them were drawing and pictures. Ideas, for Usurper.

He walked down the hallway. His footfalls echoed down the hall.

He stopped at the door, one door down the hall and on the right. A frost glass window graced a wood door. More maple hummed Dauntless, it seemed like everything in the building was done in maple.

He didn't announce himself or knock; he just opened the door. There was a click as he turned the knob. He entered the room slowly, it was bare. Per Usurper's request, there was no furniture in the room. It was a simple twelve by twelve room, with a floor to ceiling window on one side.

He looked to the corner, Usurper sat he back against the wall. The heroes' blank face looked to Dauntless.

So empty, and creepy, thought Dauntless. The Usurper had tried to change his appearance after the fight with Leviathan. He had features, but they looked too fake, especially since they were all one color. Dauntless made him revert to the original appearance. The other appearance reminded him too much of Mannequin.

Dauntless nodded his head to the Endslayer. "Usurper," he stated simply.

"Dauntless, I wondered when you would come." the monotonous voice said.

"I have brought something for you to look at." he handed the stack of paper to the seated cape. Usurper took them, he flipped through the pages. Dauntless didn't know what he was thinking. "Ideas, you need to look a little more human."

"Thought you said we weren't going to worry about PR?"

Dauntless frowned, "Not entirely true, we still have to worry about to a certain degree."

'Won't this change the way I look too much? People will not be able to recognize me."

The hero sighed, "Guess you would say that, well, can you at least act human?"

Usurper tilted his head, "What do you mean? I thought I was already doing that."

Dauntless shook his head, "No, you aren't. The only time I say you act human was when you looked human. Is it possible for you to act human all the time? Or do you have to be in a human form to act human?"

Something changed in Usurper's voice, "No, I don't think so, I just need to try." he shrugged, "Must have thought I was already doing it."

That was the other thing, Usurper had no self-awareness. He did not know how he came across.

"So you act human, and I won't make you look a certain way." Dauntless tried.

Usurper, flicked the page in his hand to the ground, "Yeah sure, anything else. Do you have a target for us?"

Dauntless shook his head, "We'll talk about the target later. Right now, I want, no I need to know what you can do. What you can do with your powers."

Thomas Gawain Harper, The Usurper, nodded slowly, "I can tell you."

**Armsmaster:**

He was confused, one of the world's greatest tinkers. When had everything gone so wrong? But still, it went right in the end. Armsmaster thought over the battle, was it when Dauntless and Usurper showed up? Undoubtedly yes. The plan hadn't wholly failed, though.

The Endbringer was gone. Usurper, Dauntless, and himself had made sure of it. He could remember the fight like it was still happening. When he first started soloing it. When Usurper got between him and the Endbringer, saving his life. When Usurper disappeared inside the Endbringer. When he and Dauntless beat the thing bloody. When it finally came crashing down. Then Usurper appeared once more, apparently able to kill it from the inside.

Legend had told him, that Dauntless, Usurper, and himself were the heroes of the fight. That they had done it.

But he wasn't too sure if he had really done it. Yes, he had been there alongside them, but did he really have much of a part in the end result? People would say yes. He knew that if he really wanted to get anywhere he would need to do something bigger.

But still, his plan went totally awry. Most of the villains he had set up had survived. But still, some were dead. The ones from Brockton Bay were: Kreig, Fenja, Cricket, Stormtiger, Hellhound. How she had died, he didn't know she wasn't there at the beginning. Grue had almost died, Leviathan paralyzed him from the waist down.

Only to be healed by Panacea.

The merchants didn't show, not like he thought they would. There had been no reports of them though… maybe they had gotten hit by a tidal wave?

The rest of the Undersiders and the Empire had gotten away with no injuries. The Travelers had also escaped unscathed. The other independent villains of the bay had not shown.

Some out of state villains he had set up had also been killed. He wouldn't bother to remember their names.

He sighed and put down his screwdriver. He looked over his halberd. It was fixed, at some point towards the end of the fight it had broken. The nano-thorn generator had stuttered, causing a delay that fried the circuits. An easy fix.

There was a pop up on his heads up display or HUD. His eyes flicked to the upper right corner, opening the message. It was Director Piggot, she wanted to know how Usurper and Dauntless got out of the time bubble. Armsmaster didn't know for sure, but, he believed that the bubble had just failed. Most things that had to do with moving or stopping time artificially were only theories. More testing would have to be conducted to draw a more accurate conclusion. He would talk with the Director later.

Now he had to sort out his thoughts.

The dynamic in Brockton Bay had changed, and he would have to change with it. Dauntless and Usurper were rocking the boat dangerously. Armsmaster was fine if it blew up in their faces, so as long as he did not get entangled in it. However, he probably would have to be involved with it, he was the regional Protectorate team leader. The Protectorate would be there when Dauntless and Usurper failed. Time would tell whether it would be to send them to the birdcage or bring them into the Protectorate.

**Alexandria: **

She was elated, satisfied. One of the Endbrigners was gone, defeated. While it may have been the weakest it was still an Endbrigner.

Done over by two well known Protectorate heroes, Armsmaster and Dauntless. And one unknown hero. The unknown hero Usurper had appeared once before. For a very short time.

Dauntless had changed, now he was an actual powerhouse. Alexandria chuckled to herself a little. No matter what people said, Dauntless was not getting a spot on the Triumvirate. The hero, while good, was not up to the task of being one of them.

Then, of course, Armsmaster. Try as he would, he was only recognized for his small part in the downfall of Leviathan. The tinker always striving to be the best but always failing. Soon Armsmaster would realize how much of an idiot he was.

Lastly, Usurper, the enigma. Many thought him a case 53. But Cauldron and by extension, Alexandria knew that to be false. They had no records of a subject like him. That left that Usurper was a natural trigger… quite a strong one. What was the threat assessment that Director Piggot had sent her? Brute seven, stranger/changer five. Looks like those would need to be changed.

Cauldron would watch Usurper with great interest.


	16. Chapter 14

Dauntless and I exited the building from the back door. There were more reporters out there then there were during a White House Press Conference. While, yes, the reporters would swamp us if we ever stopped, it was nice to be able to leave the building without being asked over a hundred questions.

Dauntless turned to me, "Remember the plan."

He handed me a print out of a map of the city. "I marked the spot on the map. You should be able to follow the directions." With those parting words, he shot up into the air.

I looked that the map. It was a little grainy but it would suffice. We were starting our first operation against the E88. Dauntless had the great idea that we would find our first villain by messing with his business. We were after Hookwolf, murderer extreme.

My companion had remembered from our meeting with the villains at Somer's Rock that Hookwolf cared quite a bit about his dog-fighting rings. The plan was simple, we hit one of his rings. Wait for him to show, then get him. Dauntless had told me that before nothing had been down about Hookwolf because he literally turned into a blender and cut anyone that got close to him to ribbons. But in Dauntless' words "_you out bruted Lung and an Endbringer, you can take him_."

Now I wasn't trying to disagree with him, I just found the thought of a human blender a little strange. So I kept asking about it.

I took a left heading towards the direction Dauntless had laid out for me.

Not ten minutes later I was in the Downtown area. This area and the commercial district were the best-maintained areas in the city. They had not been hit too hard during Leviathan's attack. But as Dauntless told me, even with the clean streets and the pleasant atmosphere if one knew where to look they could find the unsavory side easily.

I stopped before the building indicated on the map to be one of the dogfighting rings.

I didn't look like a hive of crime and villainy. In fact, it looked like a nice place. White-washed walls, tinted windows, and a door that looked quite new.

I raised my hand to chest level and formed the radio that Dauntless had given me. While I could have just kept the radio as it was, it was much easier to just copy it.

I flipped through the channels until I reached channel seven. While not a secure form of communication we weren't too worried about being overheard.

"_In position,__" _I spoke into the radio.

Dauntless responded immediately. "Bust the door down in six, meet in the ring."

"Got it. The door is coming down."

I placed my feet firmly against the ground and counted to five before I rushed to the door. I angled my shoulder so that it would hit the door.

The door didn't fly off the hinges, it didn't just break. It was pulverized, my impact turning the door to splinters.

I only had a moment to assess the situation before the guards would recover.

Someone shouted in german. Wasn't that taking the whole Nazi thing a little too far?

There were four guys in the room, and each looked like a bodybuilder. They all had firearms.

It spoke of good training or just itchy trigger fingers that they all opened fire on me at the same time.

I didn't mind the bullets and just tanked them all. They bounced harmlessly against my skin. Courtesy of personal density manipulation.

There was a loud crash from above. Dauntless entering the building. Why did he always go through the roof?

One of the thugs realized that shooting me wasn't working. He tried to run, his eyes wide.

I went for him first.

I sailed through the air after him, he had just reached the door to the other room. My arm reached out, growing unnaturally long. My talon-like fingers wrapped around his neck, he was screaming now. I yanked hard, there was a sickening crack, and I realized that the force had just snapped his spine.

Oops, I thought. Dauntless told me not to kill anyone unless I really had to.

Still holding his limp form I threw the body at one of the other thugs. The body knocked the living thug into the wall.

My other arm extended out, I grabbed another mook by his left ankle and pulled his feet out from under him. He hit the ground with a painful thud.

One guy made it outside and was running down the street screaming things incoherently.

I turned to the last guy. He was huddled up in the corner, his hands covering his eyes. Should I do anything? Nah, not worth my time.

I strode out of the room and into the next.

The next room was empty, a stairwell to the left and shut double doors to the right. Loud shouts could be heard from behind the doors.

I ignored their shouting and sauntered to the doors. I thought about the ways I was going to kill, uh, I mean non-lethally take them out.

The building rocked as Dauntless did something upstairs. Man, that guy, makes it so that I can't have as much fun, then he goes out and destroys buildings.

I raised a leg and kicked the doors. I misjudged the force of the kick and only ended up making a foot sized hole.

Someone was screaming on the other side. I grabbed each side of the hole and literally pulled the door to shreds.

"Fuck!" screamed the guy closest to me. He was large, overly large. And might I add dressed very nicely. My arms reached out, grasping hold of his tie. With a yank, I acquainted his head with the floor.

My other hand spread out creating a wall to my right, effectively allow me to deal with the room at my leisure. Someone shot me with a pistol, it hit me in the chest plinking to the ground. I looked at the deformed bullet on the ground and up at the crowd before me.

They all seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for me to act.

I moved and they all moved, Empire members rushed over each other in an effort to escape. None of them would be fast enough.

Everything moved in slow motion, except for me.

I rushed forward, my elbow connected with a man's back. My palm rode its way up to his back and into his head.

I moved onto the next guy, this time I grabbed an arm and tore it out of his socket in one smooth motion and delivered a swift kick to his ribs.

My arm extended out and tripped the woman, her face hit the ground with a crack. I grabbed a toppled chair and threw it. The chair hit a man, causing him to stumble into someone else.

Gunshots rang out and I could feel them hit my head and shoulders. I watched as a few stray bullets ripped through a woman nearby, staining her white top red. Friendly fire was always bad.

My finger elongated into talons. I pulled concrete from the floor and chucked it at the gunman. It hit him in the face, which turned into something that resembled a crushed grape. It seemed to happen a lot. Oops.

Dauntless crashed through the floor, the rest of the floor above us followed him. The building was caving in on itself. Dauntless just raised his shield protecting him from falling debris. I just stood in one place, perhaps growing just a little bit taller.

The gang members weren't so lucky, being just squishy normals. A man was impaled by a piece of steel rebar, a woman was crushed beneath the rubble. So many others too, some escaped some didn't. I was still for a moment before remembering the people I trapped behind a wall of my flesh.

I waited a moment before pulling myself out of the rubble. Dauntless exploded up, he floated above the destroyed building. He cast his head around surveying the damage.

"Shit," He said, sounding quite distressed, "I did not mean for this to happen. I only hit the pillar in the middle… How many were down here?" he seemed to get more agitated, "How many people did I just kill? This is very bad."

I shrugged, "At least it wasn't my fault this time." I sent out a tendril to the wall, I had thrown up earlier. It connected and I pinged the wall. It was mostly crushed, everyone behind it would have been killed. I mentally shrugged, they were gang members.

"Now what?" I asked. "We just wait?"

Dauntless floated back down to the ground, "Eh, yes." he still seemed upset.

We didn't have to wait long before someone came. It was a limo, a black limo decorated with a lot of wolf motifs. There was a wolf head on the grill, on each fender was a snarling wolf face that also appeared on the sill. Not even the roof was left untouched, a howling wolf decorated the roof.

Out stepped good old Hookwolf, in all his hairy glory.

"Hookwolf!" shouted Dauntless. "Surrender and come peacefully." Dauntless and I both knew that wasn't going to happen.

Hookwolf laughed, "You fuckers couldn't even arrest me before! What changed? Finally grew some balls." Hookwolf laughed again. I could see the beginning of his transformation happening. The metal was rising to the surface of his body, blades, and hooks took the place of skin. "Too bad growing some balls is going to be the end of you." His shoulders hunched and his legs bent backward, his hands became clawed paws. He seemed to shrink while at the same time growing. Before my very eyes, he was becoming a wolf, Hookwolf was literally a werewolf.

Moments later he dropped unto all four, his form was that of a massive wolf, made of metal, and at least triple the size of a normal wolf. His hateful eyes were the only thing that remained of his human form.

There were several ways I could approach this. I could attack as I was, a formless black monstrous nine-foot-tall giant. I could even grow in size and punt him across the bay, but where is the fun in that? No, I would match him, beast to beast. And if my amnesic memory served me correctly, there was one natural predator of the wolf besides humans. Amur Tigers, more commonly known as Siberian Tigers.

The Siberian Tiger is known to not even let wolves exist in their territory. They will go out of their way to make sure there aren't wolves where they live. And so that was what I called upon when I faced the wolf of the empire.

I didn't have the plan in my mental library like that of the human. For this, I just shaped my form to be that of the tiger, scaled up. My hands became paws, massive paws at least a foot across. I dropped to all fours, my face became that of what I wished. Being on all fours felt the same as being on two legs. I didn't feel clumsy or unfamiliar. Like all my forms it felt natural.

Something changed in Hookwolf, I realized, this is what he wants. To meet another, to fight on what he thinks are equal terms.

With a deep roar that I hoped sounded like that of a tiger, I launched my self at the metal wolf.

Hookwolf rose up to meet me. He went for my throat, I went for his body with a swipe of my paw.

The metal wolf's jaws slammed shut around my throat. One of my paws hit him across the body, even with the amount of force in the hit, his jaws remained shut around my throat. I pushed my body against the ground crushing him under me. I felt his jaws loosen so I pulled back, my entire throat and belly area were shreds but I hardly noticed as my regeneration fixed the damage.

Hookwolf moved to get up, but I pounced on him, my mouth clamped shut around his head. Viscously I swung his body around, his legs moved erratically in the air.

The blades and hook in my mouth, cut and shredded my inside but I didn't care, everything I felt was almost superficial. I let go of the metal wolf letting him fly through the air. His body slammed into a building before I could move. He was already moving. He was a silver streak against the dark colors of the pavement.

I moved my paws pulverizing the ground beneath me. My jaws opened wide, ready to snap shut. But Hookwolf was not to be underestimated. He weaved beneath my open jaws and dodged the swipes of my claws. Before I knew it he was on my back, his teeth tearing into my back. I reared up attempting to throw him off, I caught sight of Dauntless. He floated in the air, he seemed to be confused, stuck trying to figure out if he should act or not.

Hookwolf lost his grip on my back, he slid down landing on the ground. I turned quickly, catching him in my jaws. I smashed him into the ground, I did this over and over again. I threw him up into the air and let go. He landed with a thud, spinning around before he leaped for me. He reared back onto my hind legs, a swipe of my paw sent him sprawling into the ground. I moved my other paw, pushing him into the ground. My massive jaws clamped shut around his body. I braced his body against the ground and squeezed.

Even while the wolf squirmed under me, it was silent, save for the squeal of metal as it was crushed in between my jaws.

Finally, after a couple of seconds, I felt a pop, and there was a massive crunch. Liquid pooled out of the wolf's broken body. I let my tendril of inky darkness to spread from my body. They entered the wolf's body, searching. I found it, and mashed pulp of what could only be Hookwolf's body. I went through, copying it, taking it in. I found his brain, and I tried something, I consumed his brain, taking it in as a whole. After a second I felt something being added to my mental library. It was Hookwolf, his body, his power, and his mind. All his thoughts, all his memories were now mine. Every fight he had ever been in, every conversation, and every name and face he ever saw. Dauntless had told me about the unwritten rules, one of them was to never reveal the identity of another cape. But now I knew the identity of every empire cape.

I realized what I was, I was the perfect killing machine. Need to brute force an enemy? Yeah, I could do that. Leviathan was an unbeatable force. I killed him. Need to infiltrate something? I could do that, kill someone, and take their form, I would know what they would say, or do. I knew their thought process. At that moment I could have become a perfect copy of Hookwolf or in his real name Brad Meadows. I could have taken over his life. No one would know… only I would, and Dauntless. That was only because he was there, able to see me.

I let my tendrils slip back into me. My form returned to the shapeless giant form I had been using before becoming a tiger.

'Shit." I swore. This was so messed up.


	17. Chapter 15

I gestured to Hookwolf's destroyed body with a wayward gesture, "Shit just got real." I said slowly.

Dauntless floated off the ground, "At least you won't get in trouble for killing him, he was bound for the Birdcage, and is quite hard to contain." He swallowed, "But, the people in the building, I'm not sure how we will handle that."

I shrugged, I didn't really care for the people in the building. "I'm not talking about that."

Dauntless rolled his shoulders, "Are you sure? It seems rather important if we don't want to be arrested for homicide or murder." His voice still carried the agitated, what have I done, tone.

So, I showed him what I was talking about. Reaching out to my internal library of forms I grabbed, Hookwolf's, along with whatever clothes he was wearing, wasn't repeating that mistake again. Taking his form I felt the familiar shiver down my spine and his from was mine.

I twisted my neck, popping it, crossed my massive arms over my chest. Man Hookwolf had a lot of tattoos.

Dauntless stumbled back, "Fuck…" He swore. "How did you do that?"

I shrugged again, turning back to my prior body. "It's part of my power, shape-shifting, and replication. I tap a finger on my head, I have all his memories also." dropping my hand I added, "He was quite the nasty person."

"Fuck, yeah this is worse than killing over thirty people. If the PRT found out about what you can do… they would name you an A-class threat. We would have the Triumvirate all over us."

"Uh ok…" I didn't follow, What was an A-class threat? I would assume a big bad? But I didn't voice that. "What will we do?"

Dauntless sighed, "We call it in and leave. No reason to stick around." he gave one more glance to the demolished building and floated up into the air while pulling his phone from a hidden pocket.

Me? I just walked off in the night hoping not to get lost on my way back to the building.  
Dauntless and I met up the next morning at our building, I say morning because when we got back it was three in the morning. I avoided the crowds of reporters camped out by turning into a rat and scurrying into the building. It's amazing how many small spaces I could squeeze through, after all I could be thinner than a sheet of paper.

Dauntless presumably avoided the press by flying. Next on my list was steal a cape's flight powers. Which wasn't going to be too hard with what we were going to do next.

"We are going to attack the E88? At one of their rallies?" I asked once Dauntless floated the plan by me.

"Yes, hopefully, the death of Hookwolf will not set Kaiser into hiding," answered Dauntless, he was out of costume, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. I had mimicked him, now in human form, with clothes on.

"When, and were?"

"Down south, in the Commercial District, in the old car garage. It's on the twenty-eighth. Kaiser is supposed to make an appearance, his first since Leviathan. I heard the topics will be Empire is strong, kill Asians and other minorities." Dauntless smiled, predatory thing, "And a surprise visit from Dauntless and the Usurper."

I laughed, "They won't know what hit them." I leveled a half-serious look at him, "Just don't drop a building on them."

Dauntless looked hurt, "Yeah…" He trailed off at the end. I frowned, was that now how to tease someone? I mean they were just nazis.

The next several days passed peacefully, I stayed inside the building doing nothing, it wasn't that hard. Dauntless went out a couple of times he talked with the press, with the PRT, and with some world leaders over a teleconference.

It was on the twenty-seventh that I decided to head out. My destination, Leviathan, I was curious, I hadn't seen him since I killed him. How was my old pal doing?

I left the building still in my human form, which now that I think about, was not the best disguise. I should have done the rat thing again. As some reporters asked me about The Usurper and Dauntless because apparently if you come out of the same building as them you must know them. I ignored them, besides throwing in a good word for myself every now and then. You know "The Usurper is awesome, just awesome, he is doing a lot for this country."

Eventually, I made it to Leviathan's corpse. He was still dead, I kicked him a couple of times. Laughed at the mustache and glasses painted on his face. Stared at the holes in his body made by me, they were quite big, but got smaller the deeper they went.

I looked over at the Memorial, a simple slab of marble, with the names of the fallen carved on them. I did recognize any of the names. Three sloppily carved names occupied a blank space. They didn't look all too exciting so I left them. Only stopping to give Leviathan one more kick.

This time I did the rat thing. Avoiding all the reporters, could these people give up? It had to have been at least a week now?

On the twenty-eighth we were ready, I was the one to give the initial plan for the attack, but Dauntless was the one to work out the kinks. My version was simply, there were no real working parts, no countermeasures for unforeseen events. And it could be summed up in two words. Drop me. You see, I realized that if I was dropped from a great height I could cause catastrophic damage. Especially when one can control the weight and shape of their body.

Dauntless looked at that plan and said, there needs to be more, thus more was added. Time of drop, location of the drop, what I was supposed to do once dropped. Also what Dauntless was supposed to do after dropping me.

I went over the plan once I had hit the ground once more. Dauntless had told me that once I hit the ground I was to terminate Crusader first, supposedly his ghosts… were annoying to fight. Then Night and Fog, whichever was closer, he said. I wondered if Night would be able to transform? Dauntless said line of sight, but I can see in every direction, so? Kreig was next, while not overly powerfully he was supposedly experienced.

I stopped my train of thought while I focused on transforming. A cone, it was my choice shape. Long, thin, and deadly. I sliced through the air, making a whistling sound.

I could see the tiny car garage get bigger and bigger as I came closer to it. How many capes were done there? I ran through the names of the E88: Crusader, Othala, Purity, Stormtiger, Kaiser, Cricket, Night, Fog, Alabaster, Victor, Kreig, Fenja, Menja, and Rune. What was Rune's power? Ah yes, she controlled stuff that she touched right.

There was the most unholy crashing sound as I sliced into the concrete. There were also screams, yes, lots of screams. Kind of like what do you do when a giant shape shifting monster rips a hole in the floor of the car garage you're holding a rally in? Screaming is the most common answer, followed by fleeing. Doesn't matter how macho you are, the shapeshifting demon will kill you. So your best bet is to run, hiding won't work, because I would probably destroy whatever you're hiding behind.

Like a demon straight out of hell, I stepped out of the giant gaping hole I had created. Above and below me the entire building shuddered. Concrete dust floated in the air around me, like a smoky filament. I only waited for a couple of seconds to pass before I spoke, over the screams of the dying, and the yelling those that tried to help I projected my voice.

"The end is nigh!" I called out to the assembled but not so assembled crowd. "You can not repent for you have been judged guilty!" I may have not said that exact line, but it was pretty damn close.

I exploded out like some sort of Cthulhu monster. A shifting mass of the tentacles arms and eyes just for looks. Dauntless off course stole the show, or at least he tried to as he burst through the ceiling on the other side of the room, by the stage, I could barely make out. Again like I had said before he was like a vengeful angel, shining with bright light welding power that no human should have.

He said something that I wasn't paying attention to, as I was too focused on crossing the room to where Crusader was. The nazi villain created more and more ghostly images of himself most of which headed for me. Others stayed by him, probably to protect him. As I brushed past some of them I began to spread myself out, inky darkness spreading across the ground from where my feet touched.

I slide across the ground as a spectral crusader swiped a spear at my face. Dauntless had told me that I could not harm them, but they could harm me. Thus dodging was the best way to go. However, I had to be careful as, if my feet left the ground I would lose my connection to the ground. Yes, I could reestablish it, but that would take some of my focus away from the fight.

I swerved out of the way of another spear even as I smirked my ground body? Floor body? Whatever it was had reached Crusader and he hadn't noticed. I wretched my hand up just for show as a spear of… me? Rose from the ground impaling him from the lower back before coming out of his chest. Like with Hookwolf before I quickly sent a bit of my body to his brain to copy his powers. His power was dumb, create spectral clones that I wouldn't even fully control.

Looked around for Fog and Night, finding them fighting Dauntless, along with Kaiser, Menja, and what was it? Jenja or was it Fenja? Eh, not important I decided as Dauntless decapitated one of them with his Arclance.

Alright so if Dauntless was taking care of Fog and Night that left... Kreig. Yeah there was other parahumans but-

That was as far as my train of thought got before a block of concrete slammed into me. I was thrown back into a wall and through the wall. Would have gone farther if I hadn't dug my feet into the ground, my hands firmly clasping the block, with barely any effort I threw it off to the side. Were thousands of pounds of concrete landed on the floor dropping down a level.

Before me standing on a platform of concrete was Rune. swirling around her was pieces of concrete.

I laughed as I brushed concrete powder off myself. Throwing concrete at me was going to do nothing, thus I laughed. It was deep bellowing laughter, that if I had been human I would have been doubling over.

I quoted something, I didn't know what it was but I said it, "You have no power here!" my words echoed through the utterly ruined car garage. I paused, wait didn't whomever say those words get beat?

If I had a face I would have smirked but with a face incapable of showing human facial expression I just tilted my head to the side. From the ground surrounding myself and Rune even though she was across the room inky black spikes rose from the ground.

Hopefully they would impede her movement enough for me to get over there before her fly concrete sped her off to safety.

My hands began to shift as I changed them into blades. I ran forward, merging in and out of the spikes I had covered the room. They acted like a liquid, bending around me or just merging with my body for the sparse amount of time I was in contact with them.

But for the Nazi? They acted like steel pillars impeding every moment she tried to make. Already they had stopped several pieces of concrete from being hurled at me. Her movement became more panicked as I closed in.

She tried to use her floating pieces of concrete to destroy the pillars. However, they were part of my body and were therefore subject to my regeneration.

Every amount of damage that she could do was healed in a matter of seconds. Heck they were healing as she was destroying them.

I pushed my feet against the ground shattering it into a thousand pieces through the force I exhorted.

My body rocked through the air Rune used a slab of concrete to try and force me off the path to absolutely destroying her. My hands extend out cutting the slab into pieces. Under her hood I could see her mouth open into a soundless scream as my blade cut through her neck. It punctured her jugular before I made it curved. It struck right through her skull into her brain. I searched through her brain finding the extra part that contained the powers.

Blood leaked out her mouth and throat as I rummaged through her head taking everything of use, copying it down inside my mental library.

I had been human I would have felt sorrow for how her life turned out. As I saw all the actions she took, all the mistakes she made that lead her to be a villain. However, I wasn't truly human anymore. In those moment all I could think of was that her power was utterly useless, it only had one function, and it had stupid limitations on it.

My brain searching was interrupted as Dauntless destroyed something important and I felt the whole building shake. Or at least I was pretty sure it was Dauntless, as I didn't think anyone else had a record of destroying buildings.

I looked over just in time to see him sparta kick Kaiser across the room. Menja, or was it Fenja? Well whichever one was not beheaded right away lay broken upon the ground. A mass of bloody pulp. That also looked quite cooked.

I could see any other of the E88 capes though. Where was Purity and Kreig, the lieutenants?

My question was answered as a blast of light hit me in the head. It knocked me off my feet sending my spawling onto the ground. I felt some of my face melt off, through it quickly healed I still noticed and took note. This was a power I wanted.


End file.
